Fossil human remains from Bolomor Cave (Valencia, Spain)

Systematic excavations carried out since 1989 at Bolomor Cave have led to the recovery of four Pleistocene human fossil remains, consisting of a fibular fragment, two isolated teeth, and a nearly complete adult parietal bone. All of these specimens date to the late Middle and early Late Pleistocene (MIS 7-5e). The fibular fragment shows thick cortical bone, an archaic feature found in non-modern (i.e. non-Homo sapiens) members of the genus Homo. Among the dental remains, the lack of a midtrigonid crest in the M₁ represents a departure from the morphology reported for the majority of Neandertal specimens, while the large dimensions and pronounced shoveling of the marginal ridges in the C¹ are similar to other European Middle and late Pleistocene fossils. The parietal bone is very thick, with dimensions that generally fall above Neandertal fossils and resemble more closely the Middle Pleistocene Atapuerca (SH) adult specimens. Based on the presence of archaic features, all the fossils from Bolomor are attributed to the Neandertal evolutionary lineage.     

Human remains from Valdegoba Cave (Huérmeces, Burgos, Spain).

Systematic excavations, begun in 1987, at the Valdegoba cave site in northern Spain have yielded the remains of five individuals associated with a Middle Paleolithic stone tool technology and Pleistocene fauna. A fragmentary mandible of an adolescent (VB1), preserving nearly a full set of teeth, exhibits a symphyseal tubercle and slight incurvatio mandibulae anterior on the external symphysis. Both the superior and inferior transverse tori are present on the internal aspect. A second individual (VB2) is represented by a set of ten deciduous teeth consistent with an age at death of 6-9 months. A proximal manual phalanx (VB3) displays a relatively broad head, a characteristic which is found in both Neandertals, as well as European Middle Pleistocene hominids. VB4 is a fourth metatarsal that lacks the distal epiphysis, indicating it comes from an adolescent individual, and has a relatively high robusticity index. Finally, VB5 is a fifth metatarsal of an adult. The VB1 mandible shows a combination of archaic characteristics as well as more specific Neandertal morphological traits. The VB2 deciduous teeth are very small, and both the metrics and morphology seem more consistent with a modern human classification. The postcranial elements are undiagnostic, U-Th dating has provided an age of >350 ka for the base of the sequence and a date of <73.2+/-5 ka for level 7, near the top. Faunal analysis and radiometric dates from other nearby Mousterian sites suggests that the Valdegoba site is correlative with oxygen isotope stages 3-6 on the Iberian peninsula, and an Upper Pleistocene age for the Valdegoba hominids seems most reasonable.     

中更新世非洲Bodo人类头骨化石与周口店直立人的比较--中国与非洲人类头骨特征对比之三

发现于埃塞俄比亚MiddleAwash地区Bodo地点距今60万年的人类头骨化石是迄今发现的最为古老和完整的非洲中更新世人类化石。由于Bodo头骨化石在形态特征上兼有直立人与智人的特点,多年来学术界对其分类地位一直存在争议。Rightmire认为Bodo头骨化石与BrokenHill及Petralona等在分类上属于古老型智人的中更新世人类更为接近,是非洲直立人向古老型智人过渡的代表。至少在距今60万年的中更新世早期直立人向古老型智人转变的成种事件在非洲就已经发生。以Bodo头骨为代表的一批更新世中期非洲和欧洲人类化石构成了可能是后期人类祖先的人属海德堡种。这些观点导致了近年学术界对古老型智人在非洲及欧亚出现时间以及更新世中期非洲和欧亚地区古人类相互之间演化关系的关注。基于这样的背景,本文对年代与Bodo化石接近的周口店直立人头骨特征与Bodo头骨的相似及差异表现情况进行了对比研究。结果发现Bodo头骨在一系列特征上与周口店直立人相似,同时在包括颅容量在内的其它一些特征上呈现出后期智人的特点,但总体形态上似乎与直立人更为相似。作者认为尽管这种进化上的镶嵌现象在中国古人类化石记录上也广泛存在,但由于中国人类化石标本在年代上的不确定性,目前还没有可靠的证据说明这种集直立人与智人化石特征为一体的镶嵌性在中国古人类化石出现的时间接近或早于非洲。考虑到中国与非洲直立人生存年代的巨大差异及人类演化的不同步或地区间差异,具有较多后期人类特征表现的人类首先出现在非洲是完全可能的。根据这些研究对比,作者就人类演化的镶嵌现象、更新世中期非洲与亚洲地区人类演化上的差异等问题进行了讨论。     

Middle Pleistocene human remains from the Bau de l'Aubesier

Excavations in later Middle Pleistocene levels at the Bau de l'Aubesier, Vaucluse, France yielded a maxillary molar (M(1) or M(2); Aubesier 10) and a partial mandible from the left C(1) alveolus to the right condylar base lacking the coronoid process (Aubesier 11). Dentally they are similar to other later Middle Pleistocene Europeans in dental dimensions and variable taurodontism (Aubesier 10 but not Aubesier 11). The small Aubesier 11 mandible exhibits a retreating symphyseal profile with a minimal tuber symphyseos, an anterior marginal tubercle at P(4)/M(1), the mental foramen at P(4)/M(1)-M(1), a modest retromolar space, no lingular bridging of the mandibular foramen, an enlarged superior medial pterygoid tubercle, a modest lateral condylar tubercle, and a mandibular notch crest that intersects the middle third of the condylar margin. All of these features fall within the ranges of variation of later Middle Pleistocene Neandertal lineage humans, and some are characteristic of Middle Pleistocene human mandibles in general. In addition, Aubesier 11 exhibits pervasive ante mortem alveolar resorption with apical abscesses, alveolar bone destruction, universal labial/buccal bone loss, ante mortem tooth loss (for > or =81.8% of preserved alveoli), a lingual alveolar fenestration, and two broken root apices with masticatory attrition. These lesions indicate significantly impaired masticatory function, the oldest specimen currently known with such a reduced degree of dental function but one of several Middle Pleistocene human remains with indications of serious abnormalities.     

The postcranial dimensions of the La Chapelle-aux-saints 1 Neandertal

The La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1 Neandertal has figured prominently in considerations of Neandertal body size and proportions. In this context, a reassessment of its major long bones and a reassembly of its principal pelvic elements (sacrum and right ilium) was undertaken. There are secure measurements for its humeral and radial lengths and its femoral head diameter, but the femoral and tibial lengths were almost certainly greater than previous values. The resultant humeral, femoral and tibial lengths are similar to those of other male Neandertals, its femoral head diameter is among the largest known for Middle and Late Pleistocene humans, but its radial length is relatively short. The pelvic assembly provides modest bi-iliac and inlet transverse diameters compared with the few sufficiently complete and undistorted Middle and Late Pleistocene archaic human pelves, but its dimensions are similar to those of large male early modern humans.     

陕西公王岭蓝田直立人内耳迷路的复原及形态特点

1964年在陕西公王岭发现的蓝田人头骨的形态比周口店直立人和印度尼西亚爪哇直立人原始,其厚重的骨壁及较小的脑量,落入了早期人属成员的变异范围。最新测年结果将蓝田人的生存年代从原先普遍接受的距今115万年提早到大约163万年前,接近能人和南方古猿生存年代变异范围的下限,蓝田人是迄今为止我国发现的有确定年代数据的最早的古人类化石。本文采用高分辨率CT技术对蓝田人的颞骨岩部进行了扫描,对骨性内耳迷路进行了3D虚拟复原,通过与和县直立人、欧洲古老型智人、早期人属成员、南方古猿非洲种、粗壮傍人和现代人内耳迷路的21项测量项目的对比和分析,结果显示蓝田人内耳迷路的测量数据与南方古猿非洲种最接近,其次为现代人和欧洲古老型智人,而与早期人属成员和粗壮傍人相差较大。主成分分析结果显示,蓝田人内耳迷路与早期人属成员、欧洲古老型智人、南方古猿非洲种及现代人都有重叠区域,距离最近的是南方古猿非洲种Sts 5,其次为和县直立人和南方古猿非洲种Sts 19,而与粗壮傍人距离较远。本文研究提供了中更新世中国古人类内耳迷路的形态数据,为进一步探讨蓝田人体质特征演化上的意义提供了参考资料。     

更新世中期中国古人类演化区域连续性与多样性的化石证据

以往,在东亚大陆发现的更新世中期人类化石被分别归入直立人和古老型智人。这种分类的主要依据是化石形态特征以及年代。魏敦瑞对周口店第一地点人类化石研究描述的一些头骨、下颌骨和牙齿特征通常被作为判定直立人的标准。根据这些化石的年代分布,一般将30万年前的中更新世晚期作为划分直立人与古老型智人的大致年代界限。近20年来,在非洲、欧洲和东亚新发现了一些更新世中期人类化石,目前古人类学界对中国更新世中期人类化石特征及演化有了与以往不同的认识。最近对大荔、许家窑、盘县大洞、许昌、华龙洞等人类化石的研究显示,近30万年以来东亚大陆人类演化呈现复杂的多样性,将这一时期人类全部归入古老型智人难以准确反映更新世中期中国古人类演化模式及规律。本文结合近年中国更新世中期人类演化研究进展,选择部分具有演化及分类价值的形态特征,分析这些特征在更新世中期中国古人类化石的表现特点。在此基础上,对更新世中期中国古人类演化模式做了尝试性探讨。本研究发现,周口店、和县、沂源、南京等中更新世早期人类化石呈现有较多的区域性特征,形态特征表现相对稳定;而大荔、金牛山、许家窑、许昌、华龙洞、马坝、盘县大洞等中更新世晚期人类在化石形态特征表现复杂多样,变异范围大。此外,在这一时期人类化石上发现较多与生存活动、健康、环境适应有关的证据。根据这些发现,作者认为中国中更新世早期组人类演化以形态连续性为主;进入中更新世晚期,中国古人类演化区域性特征减弱,演化模式以多样性为主。一系列新的化石发现和研究证据提示中更新世晚期东亚大陆可能生存有不同的古人类成员。根据目前掌握的化石形态和年代证据,大约30万年前是中国更新世中期演化变化关键时间节点。     

Human mandibular incisors from the late Middle Pleistocene locality of Hoedjiespunt 1, South Africa.

The Hoedjiespunt 1 locality is an archaeological and palaeontological site located on the Hoedjiespunt Peninsula at Saldanha Bay, South Africa. In 1996 two human teeth, a left central mandibular incisor and a left lateral mandibular incisor, were discovered during excavations in the late Middle Pleistocene palaeontological layers. These teeth are described and are found to belong to a single subadult individual. Despite their developmental stage, these incisors already display early signs of wear. Their crown diameters are larger than modern and archaeological African comparative material and are most closely comparable with crown diameters of an early Middle Pleistocene and late Middle Pleistocene dental sample from Africa, Europe and Asia. In the light of this metrical evidence, data on two previously excavated maxillary molars, most probably belonging to the same individual, were re-examined. It was found that the Hoedjiespunt 1 hominid possessed dental metrical features (large anterior teeth and small molars) comparable with other African and European hominids referred to the Middle Pleistocene.     

河南栾川发现直立人化石及其演化意义

洛阳考古研究院2012年5月至10月在栾川孙家洞作抢救性发掘,于原生层位发现古人类化石,同时伴有大量哺乳动物化石,以及少量人工石制品。根据伴生动物群的初步鉴定,栾川古人类的生存时代为中更新世。6件古人类化石代表3个个体:1个成年人和2个未成年人,未成年人的牙齿生长发育阶段分别与6～7岁和11～12岁的现代青少年相当。栾川孙家洞古人类牙齿具有一定的原始性,明显区别于现代人,其形态大小位于周口店直立人牙齿的变异范围内,可归入直立人的形态范畴;同时具有东亚古人类及现代蒙古人群的地区性特征。基于幼年个体上下颌骨的牙齿发育,推测栾川古人类第一臼齿萌出年龄可能接近6岁,提示具有接近于现代人的牙齿生长模式和生活史特点。栾川中更新世古人类化石的发现为中国古人类连续演化假说提供了新证据。     

The Xujiayao 14 Mandibular Ramus and Pleistocene Homo Mandibular Variation

The earlier Late Pleistocene mandibular ramus from Xujiayao (northern China) preserves traits that vary distributionally among western Old World Pleistocene Homo samples and between Early/Middle Pleistocene archaic humans and Late Pleistocene modern humans in eastern Eurasia. Xujiayao 14 presents a lateral mandibular notch crest, an open mandibular foramen, a wide ramus, an asymmetrical mandibular notch, an enlarged superior medial pterygoid tubercle, (probably) a retromolar space, and gonial eversion, as well as an unusual depression in the planum triangulare. The first two traits appear ancestral for Later Pleistocene and recent Homo and are dominant among modern humans. The second two traits largely separate Xujiayao 14 and archaic Homo from modern humans. The next two traits are found in the highest frequency among the Neandertals, although gonial eversion contrasts with Late Pleistocene Neandertals. Xujiayao 14, in the context of Pleistocene and recent Homo samples and the other Xujiayao human remains, therefore provides a morphological mosaic, highlighting regional variation through the Pleistocene.     

Middle paleolithic human deciduous incisor from Khudji, Tajikistan

In 1997 a human mandibular second deciduous incisor was discovered during excavations at the central Asian Middle Paleolithic site of Khudji, Tajikistan. The specimen was associated with a late Middle Paleolithic assemblage in a minimally disturbed cultural layer. The specimen is average in size for Late Pleistocene archaic human di(2)s and differs from many late archaic human di(2)s in having minimal marginal ridges and tapering markedly distally. In these features it resembles a minority of specimens from the later Pleistocene.     

A Hominin Femur with Archaic Affinities from the Late Pleistocene of Southwest China

The number of Late Pleistocene hominin species and the timing of their extinction are issues receiving renewed attention following genomic evidence for interbreeding between the ancestors of some living humans and archaic taxa. Yet, major gaps in the fossil record and uncertainties surrounding the age of key fossils have meant that these questions remain poorly understood. Here we describe and compare a highly unusual femur from Late Pleistocene sediments at Maludong (Yunnan), Southwest China, recovered along with cranial remains that exhibit a mixture of anatomically modern human and archaic traits. Our studies show that the Maludong femur has affinities to archaic hominins, especially Lower Pleistocene femora. However, the scarcity of later Middle and Late Pleistocene archaic remains in East Asia makes an assessment of systematically relevant character states difficult, warranting caution in assigning the specimen to a species at this time. The Maludong fossil probably samples an archaic population that survived until around 14,000 years ago in the biogeographically complex region of Southwest China.     

Hominin teeth from the early Late Pleistocene site of Xujiayao,Northern China

It is generally accepted that from the late Middle to the early Late Pleistocene (～340–90 ka BP), Neanderthals were occupying Europe and Western Asia, whereas anatomically modern humans were present in the African continent. In contrast, the paucity of hominin fossil evidence from East Asia from this period impedes a complete evolutionary picture of the genus Homo, as well as assessment of the possible contribution of or interaction with Asian hominins in the evolution of Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis. Here we present a comparative study of a hominin dental sample recovered from the Xujiayao site, in Northern China, attributed to the early Late Pleistocene (MIS 5 to 4). Our dental study reveals a mosaic of primitive and derived dental features for the Xujiayao hominins that can be summarized as follows: i) they are different from archaic and recent modern humans, ii) they present some features that are common but not exclusive to the Neanderthal lineage, and iii) they retain some primitive conformations classically found in East Asian Early and Middle Pleistocene hominins despite their young geological age. Thus, our study evinces the existence in China of a population of unclear taxonomic status with regard to other contemporary populations such as H. sapiens and H. neanderthalensis. The morphological and metric studies of the Xujiayao teeth expand the variability known for early Late Pleistocene hominin fossils and suggest the possibility that a primitive hominin lineage may have survived late into the Late Pleistocene in China. Am J Phys Anthropol 156:224–240, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The M. obturator internus sulcus on Middle and Late Pleistocene human ischia

Recent human ischia and those of Middle and Late Pleistocene hominids exhibit variation in the cranio-caudal location of the sulcus for the internal obturator muscle as it rounds the ischium through the lesser sciatic notch, from being fully cranial of the ischial tuberosity, to bordering the tuberosity, to crossing the superior tuberosity. Among two recent human samples, all three forms exist, with the cranial position of the sulcus being more common in a 20th century Euroamerican sample whereas the intermediate one predominates in a horticultural late prehistoric Amerindian sample. The available Pleistocene Homo fossil remains exhibit the full range of variation with no one form being dominant in Middle Pleistocene archaic humans and Middle Paleolithic late archaic and early modern humans. It is only within the Upper Paleolithic that the cranial and intermediate locations for the sulcus become predominant. These patterns therefore indicate that it is inappropriate to use this feature for distinguishing later Pleistocene hominid groups. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

贵州毕节发现古人类化石与哺乳动物群

2008年12月在贵州毕节团结乡首次发现麻窝口洞化石点,经2009年、2012年和2013年3次发掘,在麻窝口洞上部砂质黏土地层中共发现了四千余件哺乳动物牙齿化石。2013年7月发现的3枚古人类牙齿,分别为左上犬齿、左上第一臼齿和右上第二臼齿。人类牙齿尺寸偏小,臼齿咬合面沟纹简单,没有复杂的咬合面皱纹和附尖齿带结构,牙根短而不显粗壮,上述特点有别于我国已经发现的直立人和早期智人,可归入解剖学上的现代人。与人类相伴的哺乳动物化石,经初步鉴定共计8目20科43属53种,动物群组合反映出亚热带森林生态环境。根据动物群的时代特点,地貌地层及堆积物的光释光年代测定,指示毕节麻窝口洞古人类的时代可能为中更新世晚期,或者晚更新世早期,毕节古人类牙齿的发现为东亚地区现代人的起源及演化增添了新的证据。     

中更新世晚期中国古人类化石的形态多样性及其演化意义

近年对许家窑、许昌、华龙洞、澎湖、夏河、哈尔滨等人类化石开展的系统研究,引发了学界对中更新世晚期人类演化及分类的不同认识。基于对相关中国人类化石形态特征的分析,作者提出这一时期中国人类化石形态特征表现为四种类型：1）以中更新世晚期人类共有特征为主;2）以原始特征为主;3）以现代特征为主;4）独特形态组合。多数化石形态特征表现为前三种类型,而许昌和许家窑这种以硕大的头骨和巨大颅容量构成的独特形态组合在其他同时期化石还没有发现。化石形态的多样性提示,不同类型的中更新世晚期中国古人类对现代人的形成贡献不同。作者认为在该时期的人类化石形态多样性规律还未阐明的情况下,将具有混合或镶嵌特征的相关人类化石归入分类地位不确定的人群较为合适。     

泥河湾盆地新发现的梅氏犀及裴氏板齿犀化石

在河北省阳原县大黑沟中更新世和岑家湾附近石沟早更新世地层中分别发现了犀牛的下颌骨和股骨化石。其下颌联合部窄长、无下门齿、牙齿釉质层平滑而无褶皱、牙齿表面无垩质充填,股骨较披毛犀的长,故将其归入梅氏犀(Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis)。泥河湾盆地的化石是我国早期梅氏犀化石中材料最可靠,地点层位最明确的记录。山神庙咀和大黑沟出土的板齿犀牙齿及前脚骨化石,是泥河湾盆地发现的最好材料,尤其是大黑沟出土的板齿犀牙齿化石,是迄今在泥河湾盆地首次发现的完整材料;依据冠面结构和测量数据,该批材料可归入裴氏板齿犀(Elasmotherium peii);裴氏板齿犀特征鲜明,是有效名称,我国早更新世的板齿犀均应归入该种。我国第四纪的板齿犀与高加索板齿犀之间存在显著差异,表现在釉质层厚度较大但褶皱不够强烈、下颊齿的下后尖发育、颊齿冠面的前后径多数大于颊舌径、M3比M2小、M3后附尖欠发育,后脊与外脊已完全融合、上颊齿的齿脊更厚。此外,我国的板齿犀与西伯利亚板齿犀也有差异,后者的牙齿齿冠更高、无齿根、釉质层薄且褶皱强烈、上颊齿无后窝。最新地层研究表明,我国含板齿犀属的地层时代不晚于早更新世,且集中出现于下更新统。在晚新生代期间,犀牛在泥河湾盆地十分常见,先后出现过如下属种:大唇犀(Chilotherium sp.)(上新世)、裴氏板齿犀(Elasmotherium peii)(早更新世)、泥河湾披毛犀(Coelodonta nihowanensis)(早更新世)、梅氏犀Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis(早-中更新世)和真披毛犀(Coelodonta antiquitatis)(中-晚更新世)。     

Archaic and modern human distal humeral morphology

The morphology of the proximal ulna has been shown to effectively differentiate archaic or premodern humans (such as Homo heidelbergensis and H. neanderthalensis) from modern humans (H. sapiens). Accordingly, the morphology of adjacent, articulating elements should be able to distinguish these two broad groups as well. Here we test the taxonomic utility of another portion of the elbow, the distal humerus, as a discriminator of archaic and modern humans. Principal components analysis was employed on a suite of log-raw and log-shape distal humeral measures to examine differences between Neandertal and modern human distal humeri. In addition, the morphological affinities of Broken Hill (Kabwe) E.898, an archaic human distal humeral fragment from the middle Pleistocene of Zambia, and five Pliocene and early Pleistocene australopith humeri were assessed. The morphometric analyses effectively differentiated the Neandertals from the other groups, while the Broken Hill humerus appears morphologically similar to modern human distal humeri. Thus, an archaic/modern human dichotomy-as previously reported for proximal ulnar morphology-is not supported with respect to distal humeral morphology. Relative to australopiths and modern humans, Neandertal humeri are characterized by large olecranon fossae and small distodorsal medial and lateral pillars. The seeming disparity in morphological affinities of proximal ulnae (in which all archaic human groups appear distinct from modern humans) and distal humeri (in which Neandertals appear distinct from modern humans, but other archaic humans do not) is probably indicative of a highly variable, possibly transitional population of which our knowledge is hampered by sample-size limitations imposed by the scarcity of middle-to-late Pleistocene premodern human fossils outside of Europe.     

Brief communication: The human humerus from the Broken Hill Mine, Kabwe, Zambia

The distal half of a right human humerus (E.898), recovered ex situ in 1925 by Hrdli?ka at the Broken Hill Mine, Kabwe, Zambia, has figured prominently in assessments of Middle Pleistocene Homo postcranial variation and of the phylogenetic polarity and functional anatomy of Pleistocene Homo upper limb morphology. Reassessment of distal humeral features that distinguish modern human and some archaic Homo humeri, especially relative olecranon breadth and medial and lateral pillar thicknesses, confirm previous studies placing it morphologically close to recent humans, as well as possibly to Early Pleistocene Homo. However, it completely lacks stratigraphic context, and there is faunal and archeological evidence for human activity at Broken Hill from the Middle Pleistocene to the Holocene. Given its uncertain geological age and modern human morphology, the Broken Hill E.898 humerus should not be used in analyses of Pleistocene humans until it is securely dated. Am J Phys Anthropol 149:312–317, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.