An Early Pleistocene Hominin Mandible from Atapuerca-TD6, Spain

Overview

Journal Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Specialty Science

Date 2005 Apr 13

PMID 15824320

Citations 15

Authors

E Carbonell

J M Bermudez de Castro

J L Arsuaga

E Allue

M Bastir

A Benito

I Caceres

T Canals

J C Diez

J van der Made

M Mosquera

A Olle

A Perez-Gonzalez

J Rodriguez

X P Rodriguez

A Rosas

J Rosell

R Sala

J Vallverdu

J M Verges

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

We present a mandible recovered in 2003 from the Aurora Stratum of the TD6 level of the Gran Dolina site (Sierra de Atapuerca, northern Spain). The specimen, catalogued as ATD6-96, adds to the hominin sample recovered from this site in 1994-1996, and assigned to Homo antecessor. ATD6-96 is the left half of a gracile mandible belonging to a probably female adult individual with premolars and molars in place. This mandible shows a primitive structural pattern shared with all African and Asian Homo species. However, it is small and exhibits a remarkable gracility, a trait shared only with the Early and Middle Pleistocene Chinese hominins. Furthermore, none of the mandibular features considered apomorphic in the European Middle and Early Upper Pleistocene hominin lineage are present in ATD6-96. This evidence reinforces the taxonomic identity of H. antecessor and is consistent with the hypothesis of a close relationship between this species and Homo sapiens.

Citing Articles

The reversal of human phylogeny: Homo left Africa as erectus, came back as sapiens sapiens.

Arnason U, Hallstrom B Hereditas. 2020; 157(1):51.

PMID: 33341120 PMC: 7749984. DOI: 10.1186/s41065-020-00163-9.

Shedding light on the Early Pleistocene of TD6 (Gran Dolina, Atapuerca, Spain): The technological sequence and occupational inferences.

Mosquera M, Olle A, Rodriguez-Alvarez X, Carbonell E PLoS One. 2018; 13(1):e0190889.

PMID: 29370188 PMC: 5784927. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190889.

A reassessment of the Montmaurin-La Niche mandible (Haute Garonne, France) in the context of European Pleistocene human evolution.

Vialet A, Modesto-Mata M, Martinon-Torres M, Martinez de Pinillos M, Bermudez de Castro J PLoS One. 2018; 13(1):e0189714.

PMID: 29337994 PMC: 5770020. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0189714.

A Human Deciduous Tooth and New 40Ar/39Ar Dating Results from the Middle Pleistocene Archaeological Site of Isernia La Pineta, Southern Italy.

Peretto C, Arnaud J, Moggi-Cecchi J, Manzi G, Nomade S, Pereira A PLoS One. 2015; 10(10):e0140091.

PMID: 26457581 PMC: 4601758. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0140091.

Middle Pleistocene hominin teeth from Longtan Cave, Hexian, China.

Xing S, Martinon-Torres M, Bermudez de Castro J, Zhang Y, Fan X, Zheng L PLoS One. 2015; 9(12):e114265.

PMID: 25551383 PMC: 4281145. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114265.

References

de Castro J, Arsuaga J, Carbonell E, Rosas A, Martinez I, Mosquera M . A hominid from the lower Pleistocene of Atapuerca, Spain: possible ancestor to Neandertals and modern humans. Science. 1997; 276(5317):1392-5. DOI: 10.1126/science.276.5317.1392. View

Cuenca-Bescos G, Laplana C, Canudo J . Biochronological implications of the Arvicolidae (Rodentia, Mammalia) from the Lower Pleistocene hominid-bearing level of Trinchera Dolina 6 (TD6, Atapuerca, Spain). J Hum Evol. 1999; 37(3-4):353-73. DOI: 10.1006/jhev.1999.0306. View

van der Made J . Ungulates from Atapuerca TD6. J Hum Evol. 1999; 37(3-4):389-413. DOI: 10.1006/jhev.1998.0264. View

ASCENZI A, Mallegni F, Manzi G, Segre A, Segre Naldini E . A re-appraisal of Ceprano calvaria affinities with Homo erectus, after the new reconstruction. J Hum Evol. 2000; 39(4):443-50. DOI: 10.1006/jhev.2000.0425. View

Rosas A, de Castro J . On the taxonomic affinities of the Dmanisi mandible (Georgia). Am J Phys Anthropol. 1998; 107(2):145-62. DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(199810)107:2<145::AID-AJPA2>3.0.CO;2-U. View

Carbonell E, de Castro J, Arsuaga J, Diez J, Rosas A, Cuenca-Bescos G . Lower Pleistocene hominids and artifacts from Atapuerca-TD6 (Spain). Science. 1995; 269(5225):826-30. DOI: 10.1126/science.7638598. View

Manzi G, Mallegni F, ASCENZI A . A cranium for the earliest Europeans: phylogenetic position of the hominid from Ceprano, Italy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001; 98(17):10011-6. PMC: 55569. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.151259998. View

Rosas A, de Castro J . The ATD6-5 mandibular specimen from Gran Dolina (Atapuerca, Spain). Morphological study and phylogenetic implications. J Hum Evol. 1999; 37(3-4):567-90. DOI: 10.1006/jhev.1999.0340. View

Arsuaga J, Martinez I, Lorenzo C, Gracia A, Munoz A, Alonso O . The human cranial remains from Gran Dolina Lower Pleistocene site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain). J Hum Evol. 1999; 37(3-4):431-57. DOI: 10.1006/jhev.1999.0309. View

10.

de Castro J, Rosas A, Nicolas M . Dental remains from Atapuerca-TD6 (Gran Dolina site, Burgos, Spain). J Hum Evol. 1999; 37(3-4):523-66. DOI: 10.1006/jhev.1999.0323. View

11.

MOORREES C, Fanning E, HUNT Jr E . AGE VARIATION OF FORMATION STAGES FOR TEN PERMANENT TEETH. J Dent Res. 1963; 42:1490-502. DOI: 10.1177/00220345630420062701. View

12.

Fernandez-Jalvo Y, Carlos Diez J, Caceres I, Rosell J . Human cannibalism in the Early Pleistocene of Europe (Gran Dolina, Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain). J Hum Evol. 1999; 37(3-4):591-622. DOI: 10.1006/jhev.1999.0324. View

13.

Ramirez Rozzi F, Bermudez de Castro J . Surprisingly rapid growth in Neanderthals. Nature. 2004; 428(6986):936-9. DOI: 10.1038/nature02428. View

14.

Falgueres C, Bahain J, Yokoyama Y, Arsuaga J, de Castro J, Carbonell E . Earliest humans in Europe: the age of TD6 Gran Dolina, Atapuerca, Spain. J Hum Evol. 1999; 37(3-4):343-52. DOI: 10.1006/jhev.1999.0326. View

15.

Stringer C . Human evolution: Out of Ethiopia. Nature. 2003; 423(6941):692-3, 695. DOI: 10.1038/423692a. View

16.

Pares J, Perez-Gonzalez A . Paleomagnetic age for hominid fossils at Atapuerca archaeological site, Spain. Science. 1995; 269(5225):830-2. DOI: 10.1126/science.7638599. View

17.

Carbonell E, Mallol C, Mosquera M, Olle A, Rodriguez X, Sahnouni M . The TD6 level lithic industry from Gran Dolina, Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain): production and use. J Hum Evol. 1999; 37(3-4):653-93. DOI: 10.1006/jhev.1999.0336. View

18.

Pares J, Perez-Gonzalez A . Magnetochronology and stratigraphy at Gran Dolina section, Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain). J Hum Evol. 1999; 37(3-4):325-42. DOI: 10.1006/jhev.1999.0331. View

19.

Arsuaga J, Martinez I, Gracia A, Lorenzo C . The Sima de los Huesos crania (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain). A comparative study. J Hum Evol. 1997; 33(2-3):219-81. DOI: 10.1006/jhev.1997.0133. View

20.

Kidder J, Durband A . A re-evaluation of the metric diversity within Homo erectus. J Hum Evol. 2004; 46(3):299-315. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2003.12.003. View