Ancient host-associated microbes obtained from mammoth remains.

Ancient genomic studies have extensively explored human-microbial interactions, yet research on non-human animals remains limited. In this study, we analyzed ancient microbial DNA from 483 mammoth remains spanning over 1 million years, including 440 newly sequenced and unpublished samples from a 1.1-million-year-old steppe mammoth.

Ecologically sustainable human exploitation of the Gran Dolina TD10.2 bison (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain).

There is evidence that communal hunting of bison was a practice that occurred from the Middle Pleistocene to historic times and was also observed among Indigenous Americans. Within the subsistence strategies of Pleistocene humans, communal hunting was part of their range of behaviors. The level TD10.

Enamel Thickness in Atapuerca Homo antecessor and Sima de Los Huesos Permanent Premolars.

Objectives: This study investigates premolar tissue proportions in the Atapuerca hominins to assess whether Homo antecessor (TD6) and Sima de los Huesos (SH) specimens exhibit thick or thin enamel, and whether relative enamel thickness is linked to tooth size reduction or enamel-dentine junction (EDJ) complexity. It also examines intrapopulation variability and provides new comparative data.

Materials And Methods: New 2D and 3D tissue metrics were derived from mCT images for TD6 (P = 2, P = 1), SH (P = 7, P = 6, P = 12, P = 17), Neanderthals (P = 4, P = 4, P = 4, P = 6), and modern humans (P = 15, P = 12, P = 26, P = 20).

The genomic legacy of aurochs hybridisation in ancient and modern Iberian cattle.

Cattle () play an important role in the life of humans in the Iberian Peninsula not just as a food source but also in cultural events. When domestic cattle were first introduced to Iberia, wild aurochs () were still present, leaving ample opportunity for mating (whether intended by farmers or not). Using a temporal bioarchaeological dataset covering eight millennia, we trace gene flow between the two groups.

The earliest human face of Western Europe.

Who the first inhabitants of Western Europe were, what their physical characteristics were, and when and where they lived are some of the pending questions in the study of the settlement of Eurasia during the Early Pleistocene epoch. The available palaeoanthropological information from Western Europe is limited and confined to the Iberian Peninsula. Here we present most of the midface of a hominin found at the TE7 level of the Sima del Elefante site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain), dated to between 1.

Semicircular canals shed light on bottleneck events in the evolution of the Neanderthal clade.

Revealing the evolutionary processes which resulted in the derived morphologies that characterize the Neanderthal clade has been an important task for paleoanthropologists. One critical method to quantify evolutionary changes in the morphology of hominin populations is through evaluating morphological phenotypic diversity (i.e.

The child who lived: Down syndrome among Neanderthals?

Caregiving for disabled individuals among Neanderthals has been known for a long time, and there is a debate about the implications of this behavior. Some authors believe that caregiving took place between individuals able to reciprocate the favor, while others argue that caregiving was produced by a feeling of compassion related to other highly adaptive prosocial behaviors. The study of children with severe pathologies is particularly interesting, as children have a very limited possibility to reciprocate the assistance.

Tarsals from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site (Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain).

Here, we provide a complete, updated, and illustrated inventory, as well as a comprehensive study, of the tarsals (rearfoot) recovered from the Middle Pleistocene site of Sima de los Huesos (SH, Atapuerca, Spain) in comparison to other Homo comparative samples, both extant and fossil. The minimum number of individuals (MNI) estimated from the tarsals has been established as 15, which represents 51.7% of the 29 dental individuals identified within the SH sample.

The Cranium I: Neurocranium.

The Sima de los Huesos (SH) site has provided a significant collection of hominin remains, including numerous cranial fragments, which have contributed to our understanding of the MP human population. The taxonomic classification of the SH hominins remains a topic of debate, with some studies suggesting a close relationship to Neandertals based on nuclear DNA analysis. The cranial morphology of the SH specimens exhibits a mix of Neandertal-like features and primitive traits observed in earlier Homo populations, providing insights into the evolutionary pattern of the Neanderthal lineage.

The Sima de los Huesos thorax and lumbar spine: Selected traits and state-of-the-art.

Information on the evolution of the thorax and lumbar spine in the genus Homo is hampered by a limited fossil record due to the inherent fragility of vertebrae and ribs. Neandertals show significant metric and morphological differences in these two anatomical regions, when compared to Homo sapiens. Thus, the important fossil record from the Middle Pleistocene site of Sima de los Huesos (SH) not only offers important information on the evolution of these anatomical regions within the Neandertal lineage but also provides important clues to understand the evolution of these regions at the genus level.

Metatarsals and foot phalanges from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site (Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain).

This study provides a complete, updated and illustrated inventory, as well as a comprehensive study, of the metatarsals and foot phalanges (forefoot) recovered from the Middle Pleistocene site of Sima de los Huesos (SH, Atapuerca, Spain) in comparison to other Homo comparative samples, both extant and fossils. This current updated review has established a minimum number of individuals (MNI) of 17, which represent 58.6% of the 29 dental individuals identified within the SH sample.

Main morphological characteristics and sexual dimorphism of hominin adult femora from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain).

The excellent fossil record from Sima de los Huesos (SH) includes three well-known complete adult femora and several partial specimens that have not yet been published in detail. This fossil record provides an opportunity to analyze the morphology of European pre-Neandertal adult femur and its variation with different evolution patterns. Currently, there are a minimum of five adult individuals (males or females).

Exploring the morphology of adult tibia and fibula from Sima de los Huesos site in sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain.

The analysis of the locomotor anatomy of Late Pleistocene Homo has largely focused on changes in proximal femur and pelvic morphologies, with much attention centered on the emergence of modern humans. Although much of the focus has been on changes in the proximal femur, some research has also been conducted on tibiae and, to a lesser extent, fibulae. With this in mind, we present one of the largest samples of the same population of human tibiae and fibulae from the Middle Pleistocene to determine their main characteristic traits and establish similarities and differences, primarily with those of Neanderthals and modern humans, but also with other Middle Pleistocene specimens in the fossil record.

Uncovering the adult morphology of the forearm bones from the Sima de los Huesos Site in Atapuerca (Spain), with comments on biomechanical features.

The forearm skeleton is composed of two bones: the radius and the ulna. This is closely related to manipulative movements. The ulna is part of the elbow joint, whereas the radius and ulna together with the scaphoid and lunate bones, form the wrist joints.

The Sima de los Huesos cervical spine.

Information regarding the evolution of the neck in genus Homo is hampered owing to a limited fossil record. Neandertals display significant metric and/or morphological differences in all the cervical vertebrae, when compared to Homo sapiens. Thus, the important fossil record from the Middle Pleistocene site of Sima de los Huesos (SH) not only offers important information about the evolution of this anatomical region within the Neandertal lineage, but also provides important clues to understand the evolution of this region at the genus level.

The Neandertal nature of the Atapuerca Sima de los Huesos mandibles.

The recovery of additional mandibular fossils from the Atapuerca Sima de los Huesos (SH) site provides new insights into the evolutionary significance of this sample. In particular, morphological descriptions of the new adult specimens are provided, along with standardized metric data and phylogenetically relevant morphological features for the expanded adult sample. The new and more complete specimens extend the known range of variation in the Atapuerca (SH) mandibles in some metric and morphological details.

Virtual excavation and analysis of the early Neanderthal cranium from Altamura (Italy).

Complete Neanderthal skeletons are almost unique findings. A very well-preserved specimen of this kind was discovered in 1993 in the deepest recesses of a karstic system near the town of Altamura in Southern Italy. We present here a detailed description of the cranium, after we virtually extracted it from the surrounding stalagmites and stalactites.

Updates to the carnivore fauna from the Sima de los Huesos.

The Sima de los Huesos site in the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, northern Spain) is a Middle Pleistocene locality with the most important accumulation of humans in the European record for this age. In addition to the hominin collection, the Sima has provided numerous faunal remains. Here, we update the carnivoran mammal fauna from the Sima de los Huesos.

Main anatomical characteristics of the hominin fossil humeri from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site, Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain: An update.

Some of the Sima de los Huesos (SH) humeri have been previously studied and described elsewhere. Here we present an updated inventory and a review of the specimens recovered to the present day. The morphological key traits of the adult and subadult specimens are described, discussed, and illustrated.

Taphonomic skeletal disturbances in the Sima de los Huesos postcranial remains.

The postcranial skeleton of fossil hominins is crucial for reconstructing the processes that occurred between the time of death and the recovery of the bones. Thousands of postcranial skeletal fragments from at least 29 hominin individuals have been recovered from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site in Spain. This study's primary objective is to address the main taphonomic features of the postcranial remains from the Sima de los Huesos sample, including antemortem, perimortem, and postmortem skeletal disturbances.

The ear of the Sima de los Huesos hominins (Atapuerca, Spain).

Previous studies on the morphology of the inner ear (semicircular canals and cochlea) in the Sima de los Huesos hominin sample have provided important results on the evolution of these structures in the Neandertal lineage. Similarly, studies of the anatomy of the external and middle ear cavities of the Sima de los Huesos hominins have also provided important data on the auditory capacities of this European Middle Pleistocene population. The present contribution provides unpublished data on three new middle ear variables from the Sima de los Huesos fossils and compares these data with values from samples of Pan troglodytes, Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens.