Middle Pleistocene European Research Articles

Contributions and Limitations of a Technomorphometric Approach for Cleavers: The Case of Lanne-Darré (Hautes-Pyrénées)

ABSTRACT Research relating to cleavers can help to characterize the Middle Pleistocene European technocultural landscape, via a technomorphometric approach that provides insights into this tool’s composite involvement. A sample of 47 cleavers from the Lanne-Darré site were observed through two scales of technomorphometric analyses. When the studied entities are the entire tools, technomorphometric links are rarely perceptible; moreover, attributing them to specific usage is impossible given the current state of knowledge. Edge-scale analysis, however, is able to highlight significant relations between technical choices and shape. The transversal cutting edge specific to cleavers, directly resulting from the blank’s debitage, revealed recurrent morphologic and morphometric similarities, though differences remained in the nature and organization of other cleaver's parts. Four technico-structural tools groups were determined from these heterogeneous organizations, that differ from J. Tixier’s technotypology. Finally, the proposed technomorphometric approach provides new elements for understanding the structural place of cleavers in technical systems .

Lost in the collections. A critical re-appraisal on Equus major provides a new perspective on the paleobiogeography of the Plio-Pleistocene European equids and on the Equus Datum

Despite its description at the end of the XIX Century, the alpha-taxonomy, paleobiogeography and biochronology of Equus major remains obscure and ill-defined, leaving a gap of knowledge in the evolutionary history of the Eurasian Palearctic Early Pleistocene Equus species. In this contribution, we describe the Early Pleistocene E. major samples from Pardines and Senèze, providing a comparison by multivariate and statistical analyses with the Early and Middle Pleistocene European stenonid fossil Equus species. Moreover, we explore the paleoecology of E. major by mesowear and body mass estimates, comparing its palaeobiogeographic distribution with European paleoclimatic conditions during the Early Pleistocene. Our outcomes help to clarify the fossil record of E. major, leading to our interpretation that it was the largest Early Pleistocene Equus in Europe, it had a browse-dominated to mixed-feeding diet and was well adapted to humid and forested parts of Europe during the earliest Pleistocene. Eventually, the comparison of our paleoclimatic map with the European fossil record provides new insights in understanding their distribution in time and space during the Early Pleistocene, allowing to clarify details surrounding the Equus Datum in Western Eurasia.

Equus suessenbornensis from Akhalkalaki (Georgia, Caucasus): a review with new insights on the paleoecology, paleobiogeography and evolution of the palearctic large-sized equids during the Early – Middle Pleistocene Transition

Equus suessebornensis is one of the most intriguing species of the Early and Middle Pleistocene Eurasian Equus. Although it was described from the Middle Pleistocene site of Süssenborn, in recent years its biochronological correlation has been extended to the Early Pleistocene, raising a debate in the scientific community. In this contribution, we provide a complete ontogenically-based description of the Akhalkalaki E. suessenbornensis samples, and we compare it by multivariate and statistical analyses with the Early and Middle Pleistocene European fossil record. Moreover, we provide new paleoecological insights utilizing body mass, mesowear and net primary productivity estimates. Our outcomes provide a new perspective on the E. suessenbornensis morphology and variability, but also new interpretations for its paleoecology, biochronology, paleobiogeography and evolution. Eventually, these results provide a reassessment of equid evolution during the Early – Middle Pleistocene Transition in Western Eurasia, a critical period for the dynamics of the Quaternary faunas and paleoenvironments.

New taxonomical, biochronological and palaeoenvironmental data from the Middle Pleistocene site of Cúllar de Baza 1 (Granada, Spain)

The intra-montane Guadix-Baza Basin is one of the few continental basins in Europe that hosts a well-dated set of fossiliferous sites spanning from the latest Miocene to the late Middle Pleistocene. The Cúllar de Baza 1 (CB-1) represents a key site to investigate the effects of the Early-Middle Pleistocene Transition, considered a fundamental transformation in the Earth’s climate state. Our review and update of the large mammal assemblage, and particularly equids, is of paramount relevance to understand the systematic affinities and the evolution of the Early and Middle Pleistocene European horses. We confirm the occurrence of two different taxa, the medium sized Equus altidens and the larger E. suessenbornensis. Moreover, we illustrate that CB-1 is essential for the biochronological studies of the latest Early Pleistocene/Middle Pleistocene transition (Epivillafranchian/Galerian ELMA); in particular with regard to the Last Occurrences of the Etruscan rhino Stephanorhinus etruscus and the large deer Megaloceros savini and the First Occurrence of the water-rat Arvicola mosbachensis in the Iberian peninsula. Finally, a development of a mosaic environment characterised the CB-1 site contrasting with the conditions reported for other Iberian late Early and Middle Pleistocene localities.

Evidence of Neanderthals in the Balkans: The infant radius from Kozarnika Cave (Bulgaria)

Excavations conducted by a Bulgarian-French team at Kozarnika Cave (Balkans, Bulgaria) during several seasons yielded a long Paleolithic archaeological sequence and led to the discovery of important faunal, lithic, and human samples. This paper aims to describe the unpublished radius shaft of an infant who died approximately before the sixth month postnatal that was recovered from layer 10b, which contained East Balkan Levallois Mousterian with bifacial leaf points. The layer was dated between 130 and 200 ka (large mammals biochronology) and between 128 ± 13 ka and 183 ± 14 ka (OSL), i.e. OIS6. Here we show that, given the scarcity of Middle Pleistocene infant remains in general, and Middle Paleolithic human remains from this part of Eastern Europe in particular, the study of the Kozarnika specimen is of special interest. We discuss its place in the Middle Pleistocene European hominine record and substantiate the hypothesis of early Neanderthal presence in the eastern Balkans.

Another window to the subsistence of Middle Pleistocene hominins in Europe: A taphonomic study of Cuesta de la Bajada (Teruel, Spain)

Cuesta de la Bajada is a Middle Pleistocene site (MIS 8–9) in which some of the earliest evidence of Middle Paleolithic stone tool tradition is documented. The small format tool assemblage, dominated by simple flakes and scrapers, is associated to abundant remains of equids and cervids, in which both percussion and cut marks are well represented. The anatomical distribution of these bone surface modifications indicate primary access to fleshed carcasses by hominins. Hunting is further supported by the analysis of age profiles, in which prime adults are predominant both in equids and cervids. The taphonomic analysis of the site adds more information to human predatory behaviors as documented in other Middle Pleistocene sites and is one of the best examples of hunting documented in the Middle Pleistocene European archaeological record.

Evolution of middle-late Pleistocene human cranio-facial form: A 3-D approach

The classification and phylogenetic relationships of the middle Pleistocene human fossil record remains one of the most intractable problems in paleoanthropology. Several authors have noted broad resemblances between European and African fossils from this period, suggesting a single taxon ancestral to both modern humans and Neanderthals. Others point out ‘incipient’ Neanderthal features in the morphology of the European sample and have argued for their inclusion in the Neanderthal lineage exclusively, following a model of accretionary evolution of Neanderthals. We approach these questions using geometric morphometric methods which allow the intuitive visualization and quantification of features previously described qualitatively. We apply these techniques to evaluate proposed cranio-facial ‘incipient’ facial, vault, and basicranial traits in a middle-late Pleistocene European hominin sample when compared to a sample of the same time depth from Africa. Some of the features examined followed the predictions of the accretion model and relate the middle Pleistocene European material to the later Neanderthals. However, although our analysis showed a clear separation between Neanderthals and early/recent modern humans and morphological proximity between European specimens from OIS 7 to 3, it also shows that the European hominins from the first half of the middle Pleistocene still shared most of their cranio-facial architecture with their African contemporaries.

Carnivora of the Tamanian faunal unit (the Azov Sea area)

The Carnivora assemblage of the Tamanian faunal unit (1.1–0.8 Ma) from the south of European Russia (Taman' Peninsula and southern shore of the Taganrog Gulf of the Azov Sea) is described. It contains five species: Canis tamanensis, Canis (Xenocyon) lycaonoides, Lutra simplicidens tamanensis, Pachycrocuta brevirostris, and Homotherium latidens. The Tamanian otter shows a more primitive condition than the Middle Pleistocene European L. simplicidens and its subspecific status is defined. C. tamanensis resembles the European Canis mosbachensis but shows very peculiar characteristics of the lower carnassial in the type specimen. In general, the Tamanian assemblage is composed of the elements that are characteristic of the post-Villafranchian carnivore fauna of Western Europe.

Taphonomy of the fossil hominid bones from the Acheulean site of Castel di Guido near Rome, Italy

Castel di Guido near Rome is one of the few open air Middle Pleistocene European sites that has yielded hominid skeletal remains associated with fossil fauna and Acheulean implements. The fossil hominid bones include two femoral shafts, respectively designated Castel di Guido-1 (CdG-1) and CdG-2, an occipital fragment (CdG-3), a right maxilla lacking teeth (CdG-4), a portion of right parietal (CdG-5), a right temporal (CdG-6), and a fragment of left parietal vault (CdG-7). CdG-1 through CdG-4 were collected in 1979–1982 on the surface, together with fossil fauna, where ploughing incised fossiliferous tuffaceous sands. Excavations conducted in the same area from 1980 to 1990 led to the discovery of CdG-5, CdG-6 and CdG-7 within the tuffaceous sands, which were shown to overlay a bone-bearing paleosurface, with abundant evidence of hominid activities. The Castel di Guido hominid assemblage poses intriguing taphonomic questions. The analysis of the physical evidence offered by the bone surfaces, reported in the present study, indicates that the hominid skeletal remains were heavily fragmented before fossilization and exposed to carnivores and rodents, as well as to trampling and/or friction in abrasive sediment. Although definitive conclusions cannot be reached on the basis of the available evidene, it is possible that clusters of incisions localized on specific regions of the Castel di Guido fossil hominid bones might reflect deliberate human manipulations.

Morfología comparada de los dientes humanos fósiles de Ibeas (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos)

This paper contains a morphological and comparative study of 68 human fossil teeth recovered from the Sima de los Huesos site of the Cueva Mayor-Cueva del Silo karst system (Sierra de Atapuerca, Ibeas de Juarros, Burgos). The morphology of the Ibeas teeth conforms with a pattern of expansion of the anterior dentition characterizing all the Middle Pleistocene human populations, and with a pattern of structural reduction of the posterior teeth characterizing the European population of that period. The Ibeas teeth share several morphological traits with those of other European, North African and Asian Middle Pleistocene fossils. However, the tooth morphology of the European group, in which the Ibeas fossils are included, shows remarkable differences with that of the other groups. This fact permits to reinforce the thesis that a distinctive hominid lineage was established in Europe during the Middle Pleistocene. On the other hand, the Ibeas teeth bring forward new evidence to support the hypothesis of a close filogenetic relationship between the Middle Pleistocene European population and the Nearderthals and, accordingly, of a local evolution during that period and the Early Upper Pleistocene.

Cranial remains of Middle Pleistocene European hominids

Cranial remains of the Middle Pleistocene European hominids are reviewed in a historical context. Swanscombe and Steinheim, the earliest specimens to be discovered, are compared with each other. Following this, the more recently discovered specimens from Vértesszöllös, Petralona and Bilzingsleben are compared. Finally, Riss remains from La Chaise, Biache and Arago are discussed in the context provided by the above specimens. It is suggested that while phyletic evolution may play a role in the observed differences, a marked degree of sexual dimorphism contributes to the variation expressed by these specimens.