Title
Neandertal roots: Cranial and chronological evidence from Sima de los Huesos
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Publication Date
January 2014
Abstract
Seventeen Middle Pleistocene crania from the Sima de los Huesos site (Atapuerca, Spain) are analyzed, including seven new specimens. This sample makes it possible to thoroughly characterize a Middle Pleistocene hominin paleodeme and to address hypotheses about the origin and evolution of the Neandertals. Using a variety of techniques, the hominin-bearing layer could be reassigned to a period around 430,000 years ago. The sample shows a consistent morphological pattern with derived Neandertal features present in the face and anterior vault, many of which are related to the masticatory apparatus. This suggests that facial modification was the first step in the evolution of the Neandertal lineage, pointing to a mosaic pattern of evolution, with different anatomical and functional modules evolving at different rates.
Type
Article
Notes
Science, Vol. 344, no. 6190 (2014).
Identifier
SFS0072684_00001
Recommended Citation
Arsuaga, J. L.; Martínez, I.; Arnold, L. J.; Aranburu, A.; Gracia-Téllez, A.; Sharp, W. D.; Quam, R. M.; and et, al., "Neandertal roots: Cranial and chronological evidence from Sima de los Huesos" (2014). KIP Articles. 3571.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/kip_articles/3571
