The Acheulean from Atapuerca: Three steps forward, one step back
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors proposed that there was a local transition at Atapuerca from the Acheulean to the early Middle Paleolithic techno-complexes.
About: This article is published in Quaternary International.The article was published on 2016-08-08. It has received 47 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Lower Paleolithic & Acheulean.
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TL;DR: Faunal analysis of nearly 25,000 faunal remains from the "bison bone bed" layer of the TD10.2 sub-unit at Gran Dolina, Atapuerca, Spain, suggests the procurement of bison by communal hunting as early as circa 400 kyr, and informs the understanding of the early emergence of predatory skills similar to those exhibited by modern communal hunters.
70 citations
Cites background from "The Acheulean from Atapuerca: Three..."
...The significance of these evolutionary trends and their identificationwith an early Middle Paleolithic technology have been, however, difficult to assess up to now (Oll e et al., 2016)....
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TL;DR: The identification of a site with large accumulations of LCTs favours the hypothesis of an African origin for the Acheulean of Southwest Europe, which could be consistent with the potential coexistence of different human species in south-western Europe during the Middle Pleistocene.
Abstract: We describe a European Acheulean site characterised by an extensive accumulation of large cutting tools (LCT). This type of Lower Paleolithic assemblage, with dense LCT accumulations, has only been found on the African continent and in the Near East until now. The identification of a site with large accumulations of LCTs favours the hypothesis of an African origin for the Acheulean of Southwest Europe. The lithic tool-bearing deposits date back to 293-205 thousand years ago. Our chronological findings confirm temporal overlap between sites with clear "African" Acheulean affinities and Early Middle Paleolithic sites found elsewhere in the region. These complex technological patterns could be consistent with the potential coexistence of different human species in south-western Europe during the Middle Pleistocene.
60 citations
TL;DR: The conclusion supports the interpretation that several technical features may be attributed to a Levallois technology similar to those observed in younger Middle Paleolithic sites, distinct from the main associated core technologies in each level.
55 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors show that human occupation in Europe strongly fluctuated over the Quaternary period, with a more widespread and dense occupation over the last 450-ka.
34 citations
National Oceanography Centre, Southampton1, Australian National University2, Natural History Museum3, Utrecht University4, University of Rennes5, Southern University of Science and Technology6, Chinese Academy of Sciences7, University of Hong Kong8, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan)9, Beijing Normal University10, Xi'an University of Science and Technology11, Shanxi Teachers University12
TL;DR: The authors synthesize Asian precipitation reconstructions within a context of global palaeoclimatic records and find that the mid-Brunhes transition occurred in two stages: strong warming of northern hemisphere continents, weaker southern hemisphere warming, and related more extensive northward displacement of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) during interglacial marine isotope stage (MIS) 13 intensified and expanded precipitation in Asian monsoon regions and in other widespread northern hemisphere regions, with accompanying carbon reservoir changes featuring globally high marine benthic δ13C values because of vegetation expansion
31 citations
References
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TL;DR: The discovery of a human mandible associated with an assemblage of Mode 1 lithic tools and faunal remains bearing traces of hominin processing in stratigraphic level TE9 at the site of the Sima del Elefante, Atapuerca, Spain emerges as the oldest, most accurately dated record of human occupation in Europe, to the authors' knowledge.
Abstract: The earliest hominin occupation of Europe is one of the most debated topics in palaeoanthropology. However, the purportedly oldest of the Early Pleistocene sites in Eurasia lack precise age control and contain stone tools rather than human fossil remains1–5. Here we report the discovery of a human mandible associated with an assemblage of Mode 1 lithic tools and faunal remains bearing traces of hominin processing, in stratigraphic level TE9 at the site of the Sima del Elefante, Atapuerca, Spain6–8. Level TE9 has been dated to the Early Pleistocene (approximately 1.2–1.1 Myr), based on a combination of palaeomagnetism, cosmogenic nuclides and biostratigraphy. The Sima del Elefante site thus emerges as the oldest, most accurately dated record of human occupation in Europe, to our knowledge. The study of the human mandible suggests that the first ettlement of Western Europe could be related to an early demographic expansion out of Africa. The new evidence, with previous findings in other Atapuerca sites (level TD6 from Gran Dolina9–13), also suggests that a speciation event occurred in this extreme area of the Eurasian continent during the Early Pleistocene, initiating the hominin lineage represented by the TE9 and TD6 hominins.
546 citations
Complutense University of Madrid1, University of Alcalá2, University of Adelaide3, University of the Basque Country4, Berkeley Geochronology Center5, American Museum of Natural History6, Centre national de la recherche scientifique7, United States Geological Survey8, University of Burgos9, Rovira i Virgili University10, University of Zaragoza11, National Taiwan University12
TL;DR: 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, pointing to a mosaic pattern of evolution.
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.
346 citations
TL;DR: New ESR and U-series results on teeth from four levels of the Gran Dolina deposit confirm the palaeomagnetic evidence, and indicate that TD6 (from which the human remains have been recovered) dates to the end of the Early Pleistocene, while results for the other levels are consistent with estimates based mainly on microfaunal evidence.
341 citations
TL;DR: Results indicate that TL and (sometimes) IRSL are useful dating tools for karstic inwash sediments older than ca.
277 citations
TL;DR: The authors proposed a population model for Middle Pleistocene Europe that is based on demographic sources and sinks, and suggested that this pattern of repeated colonisation and extinction may help explain the morphological variability of European Middle-Pleistocene hominins, particularly Homo heidelbergensis.
258 citations