... Enfermedad de Darier. Autores: Richard A. Fariña, Paul Palmqvist Barrena, Sergio F. Vizcaíno;... more ... Enfermedad de Darier. Autores: Richard A. Fariña, Paul Palmqvist Barrena, Sergio F. Vizcaíno; Localización: Investigación y ciencia, ISSN 0210-136X, Nº 299, 2001 , págs. 34-38. Fundación Dialnet. Acceso de usuarios registrados. ...
... Enfermedad de Darier. Autores: Richard A. Fariña, Paul Palmqvist Barrena, Sergio F. Vizcaíno;... more ... Enfermedad de Darier. Autores: Richard A. Fariña, Paul Palmqvist Barrena, Sergio F. Vizcaíno; Localización: Investigación y ciencia, ISSN 0210-136X, Nº 299, 2001 , págs. 34-38. Fundación Dialnet. Acceso de usuarios registrados. ...
In 2017, a hemimandible (MW5-B208), corresponding to the Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis), was fou... more In 2017, a hemimandible (MW5-B208), corresponding to the Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis), was found in a stratigraphically-controlled and radio-isotopically-dated sequence of the Melka Wakena paleoanthropological site-complex, on the Southeastern Ethiopian Highlands, ~ 2300 m above sea level. The specimen is the first and unique Pleistocene fossil of this species. Our data provide an unambiguous minimum age of 1.6–1.4 Ma for the species’ presence in Africa and constitutes the first empirical evidence that supports molecular interpretations. Currently, C. simensis is one of the most endangered carnivore species of Africa. Bioclimate niche modeling applied to the time frame indicated by the fossil suggests that the lineage of the Ethiopian wolf faced severe survival challenges in the past, with consecutive drastic geographic range contractions during warmer periods. These models help to describe future scenarios for the survival of the species. Projections ranging from most pessimisti...
The Early Pleistocene archeological site of Fuente Nueva-3 (FN3) preserves some of the oldest evi... more The Early Pleistocene archeological site of Fuente Nueva-3 (FN3) preserves some of the oldest evidence of hominin presence in Western Europe, including a huge assemblage of Oldowan tools and evidence of butchering and marrow processing of large mammal bones. Moreover, there is also evidence of the regular presence of carnivores at the site, including a small proportion of bones that show tooth marks, the majority of which can be attributed to the giant, short-faced hyena Pachycrocuta brevirostris, and there are 220 coprolites, most of them from the Upper Archeological Level. In order to identify the defecating agent, we analyze here the coprolites and compare them with other specimens from the literature and with scats from zoo spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta). The morphology, color, size, and chemical composition of the FN3 coprolites allow us to attribute them to the hyena P. brevirostris, which is also represented at the site by fossil specimens. In addition, we evaluate the orig...
... Europe. Journal of Archaeological Science, 26: 571-585. Arribas, A., Riquelme, JA, Palmqvist,... more ... Europe. Journal of Archaeological Science, 26: 571-585. Arribas, A., Riquelme, JA, Palmqvist, P., Garrido, G., Hernández, R., Laplana, C., Soria, J., Viseras, C., Durán, JJ, Gumiel, P., Robles, F., López-Martínez, J. y Carrión, J. (2001): Un nuevo yacimiento de Page 5. 5 ...
The role of morphometrics as a quantitative discipline in Human Palaeontology is discussed in thi... more The role of morphometrics as a quantitative discipline in Human Palaeontology is discussed in this essay. As an example, comparisons are made between the relative position of reference points in the faces of the robust and hyper-robust australopithecines A. robustus and A. boisei (Rak, 1983), using principal warp analysis (Bookstein, 1991) and the computer programme TPSPLINE of F. James Rohlf. The results obtained in these transformations show a morphological change of equivalent magnitude (reflected by bending energy parameters, 0.976 and 0.908, respecti vely) to that required for shifting the lateral view of the skull of Hyracotherium (Eohippus) to the corresponding one in Equus (Fig. 2: bending energy 0.969), two steps in the evolution of horses which are separated in time by more than 50 Ma. (MacFadden, 1992). However, both transformations are exceeded in the case of strongly marked dimorphism as occurs in mandrils (Primates) (Fig. 3: bending energy 1.285). It is concluded that a reference framework is needed for a proper quantitative assessment of morphometric data before one may decide whether the overall differences between any pair of fossil hominids (e.g., KNM-ER 1470 and KNM-ER 1813, or A. robustus versus A. boisei) may be regarded as sufficiently important to warrant assignment to different species. A proper perspective can only be obtained from a full comparative study of morphometric data related to intraspecific variation in human populations, taking into account individual, ontogenetic and interpopulational differences as well as the sexual dimorphism in panids.
The relationship between body weight and abundance of skeleton remains of macromammal species rec... more The relationship between body weight and abundance of skeleton remains of macromammal species recovered from the Pleistocene Venta Micena locality of Granada, Spain, is analysed using Damuth's taphonomic model. It is shown that the community structure of the original biocoenosis has been preserved to a certain extent during fossilisation and that taphonomic bias is due mainly to weathering processes at the time of subaerial exposure of the skeletal remains before their defi nitive burial. These processes led to differential destruction of the bones in accordance to their relative surfaces, most losses being suffered by species of small body size.
Yacimientos Paleontológicos Excepcionales en la Península Ibérica: XXXIV Jornadas de Paleontología y IV Congreso Ibérico de Paleontología, 2018, ISBN 978-84-9138-066-5, págs. 487-489, 2018
G. Rodríguez-Gómez, J.A. Martín-González y P. Palmqvist 1 Departamento de Matemáticas y Computaci... more G. Rodríguez-Gómez, J.A. Martín-González y P. Palmqvist 1 Departamento de Matemáticas y Computación, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Burgos, Plaza Misael Bañuelos s/n, 09001 – Burgos, España. Email: jamartin@ubu.es 2 PACEA-UMR5199CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, Allée Geoffroy St Hilaire, Bâtiment B18, CS 50023, 33615 – Pessac Cedex, Francia. Email: guillerwilson@gmail.com 3 Departamento de Ecología y Geología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, Campus Universitario de Teatinos s/n, 29071 – Málaga, España. Email: ppb@uma.es
Partiendo de la premisa de dinamizar ciertos recursos existentes en el Departa- mento de Prehisto... more Partiendo de la premisa de dinamizar ciertos recursos existentes en el Departa- mento de Prehistoria y Arqueología (la colección de réplicas osteológicas - cráneos - y un escáner 3D de superficie) nos propusimos como objetivo componer una colección virtual de referencia de materiales osteológicos accesible, com- prensible y funcional, para enriquecer la formación teórico-práctica del alumnado, y contribuir a la mejora de la enseñanza de la evolución humana en los diferentes grados y posgrados de la Universidad de Granada, pero también válido para la investigación.Para ello, se procedió a digitalizar, con un escáner 3D de luz estructurada Ar- tec2000, 25 réplicas de cráneos de individuos significativos para el estudio de la evolución humana y pertenecientes a los principales taxones extintos (australopitecinos –en sentido amplio- y Homo). Además, se realizaron fichas de cada uno de ellos con información relativa a su descubrimiento y adscripción, así como de algunas de las princip...
ABSTRACT Five lithostratigraphic lacustrine sedimentary units have been studied in the Plio-Pleis... more ABSTRACT Five lithostratigraphic lacustrine sedimentary units have been studied in the Plio-Pleistocene sedimentary infilling of the Guadix-Baza basin (Southern Spain). These systems show abundant carbonate facies (mainly marly limestones, limestones and dolomites) and can be ordered chronologically as: Pliocene, Gelasian with terrigenous-carbonate, proximal-type facies (hereafter referred as “proximal facies” Gelasian), Gelasian with carbonate-evaporitic, distal-type facies (hereafter referred as “distal facies” Gelasian), Calabrian and Middle Pleistocene, with both Gelasian units showing a sedimentary lateral relationship. These facies usually characterize the top of elementary sequences composed at the bottom of marls or calcilutites, or of lutites or sandstones, which evidence stages of major contribution of terrigenous inputs. The study of the microfacies has allowed establishing different sedimentary and palaeoecological scenarios, which were determined to a large extent by climatic oscillations and tectonic activity. All these aspects provide clues on a number of environmental conditions for each of the five lacustrine systems defined, including water depth, biological activity, amount of terrigenous inputs, hydrodynamics and periods of subaerial exposure: Pliocene: persistent lacustrine systems with high biological productivity and elevated hydrodynamic activity; Gelasian “proximal facies”: swampy systems linked to an alluvial context; Gelasian “distal facies”: evaporitic and ephemeral playalake lacustrine systems with high biological productivity and laterally connected with alluvial systems; Calabrian: persistent lacustrine and swampy systems with elevated biological productivity, high hydrochemical activity and low influence of alluvial inputs; Middle Pleistocene: short-standing swampy systems of episodic nature, developed in an alluvial context with a certain degree of terrigenous feeding.
The late Early Pleistocene archaeological site of Fuente Nueva 3 (Orce, Guadix-Baza Depression, S... more The late Early Pleistocene archaeological site of Fuente Nueva 3 (Orce, Guadix-Baza Depression, SE Spain), dated to ~1.4 Ma, provides evidence on the subsistence strategies of the first hominin population that dispersed in Western Europe. The site preserves Oldowan tool assemblages associated with abundant remains of large mammals. A small proportion of these remains show cut marks and percussion marks resulting from defleshing and bone fracturing, and a small proportion of bones also show tooth marks. Previous taphonomic studies of FN3 suggested that the hominins had secondary access to the prey leftovers abandoned by sabretooth cats and other primary predators. However, a recent analysis by Yravedra et al. (2021) of the frequency of anthropogenic marks and tooth marks has concluded that the hominins had primary access to the carcasses of a wide variety of ungulate prey, even though the frequency of evisceration marks is strikingly low. In this rebuttal, we analyse the patterns of ...
Abstract Dental morphology and tooth microwear studies are used as analytical proxies for underst... more Abstract Dental morphology and tooth microwear studies are used as analytical proxies for understanding the taxonomy, biochronology, paleobiology and ecogeographical context of Early Pleistocene Ursus species ( U. etruscus ) and other large carnivore taxa (Hyaenidae and Canidae) preserved in the Early Pleistocene (Calabrian) sites from Orce (Guadix-Baza basin, Andalusia, Spain), including Venta Micena (VM), Barranco Leon (BL-D) and Fuente Nueva-3 (FN-3). The results of this study suggest varied dietary habits and behavior among Ursus species and other carnivorous taxa. Morphologically, the bunodont dentition and microwear patterns of Ursus etruscus advanced forms from VM, BL-D and FN-3 indicate their omnivorous feeding ecology, in agreement with the dietary habits of extant brown bear, Ursus arctos (a purported descendant of U . etruscus ). However, in the case of VM isotopic analyses of bioapatite and bone collagen suggest a significant contribution of fish in their diet, as in the case of some populations of modern brown bear, and also a regular consumption of plant tissues, as evidenced by the comparatively high δ 15 N and δ 18 O values in this extinct species, respectively.
Ancient evidence of human presence in europe is recorded in several early pleistocene archaeopala... more Ancient evidence of human presence in europe is recorded in several early pleistocene archaeopalaeontological sites from Spain, france and italy. this is the case of Barranco León (BL) and Fuente Nueva-3 (FN-3), two localities placed near the town of Orce (depression of Baza and Guadix, SE Spain) and dated to ~1.4 Ma. At these sites, huge assemblages of Oldowan tools and evidence of defleshing, butchering and marrow processing of large mammal bones have been recovered together with a deciduous tooth of Homo sp. in the case of level BL-D. In this study, we: (i) describe in detail the anthropic marks found in the bone assemblages from these sites; (ii) analyse patterns of defleshment, butchery and marrow processing, based on the modifications identified in the cortical surface of the fossils; and (iii) discuss on the subsistence strategies of the first hominins that inhabited the European subcontinent during early pleistocene times.
The origin of the genus Bos is a debated issue. From ∼0.5 Ma until historic times, the genus is w... more The origin of the genus Bos is a debated issue. From ∼0.5 Ma until historic times, the genus is well known in the Eurasian large mammal assemblages, where it is represented by Bos primigenius. This species has a highly derived cranial anatomy that shows important morphological differences from other Plio-Pleistocene Eurasian genera of the tribe Bovini such as Leptobos, Bison, Proamphibos-Hemibos, and Bubalus. The oldest clear evidence of Bos is the skull fragment ASB-198-1 from the middle Pleistocene (∼0.6-0.8 Ma) site of Asbole (Lower Awash Valley, Ethiopia). The first appearance of Bos in Europe is at the site of Venosa-Notarchirico, Italy (∼0.5-0.6 Ma). Although the origin of Bos has traditionally been connected with Leptobos and Bison, after a detailed anatomical and morphometric study we propose here a different origin, connecting the middle Pleistocene Eurasian forms of B. primigenius with the African Late Pliocene and early Pleistocene large size member of the tribe Bovini Pelorovis sensu stricto. The dispersal of the Bos lineage in Western Europe during middle Pleistocene times seems to coincide with the arrival of the Acheulean tool technology in this continent.
... Enfermedad de Darier. Autores: Richard A. Fariña, Paul Palmqvist Barrena, Sergio F. Vizcaíno;... more ... Enfermedad de Darier. Autores: Richard A. Fariña, Paul Palmqvist Barrena, Sergio F. Vizcaíno; Localización: Investigación y ciencia, ISSN 0210-136X, Nº 299, 2001 , págs. 34-38. Fundación Dialnet. Acceso de usuarios registrados. ...
... Enfermedad de Darier. Autores: Richard A. Fariña, Paul Palmqvist Barrena, Sergio F. Vizcaíno;... more ... Enfermedad de Darier. Autores: Richard A. Fariña, Paul Palmqvist Barrena, Sergio F. Vizcaíno; Localización: Investigación y ciencia, ISSN 0210-136X, Nº 299, 2001 , págs. 34-38. Fundación Dialnet. Acceso de usuarios registrados. ...
In 2017, a hemimandible (MW5-B208), corresponding to the Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis), was fou... more In 2017, a hemimandible (MW5-B208), corresponding to the Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis), was found in a stratigraphically-controlled and radio-isotopically-dated sequence of the Melka Wakena paleoanthropological site-complex, on the Southeastern Ethiopian Highlands, ~ 2300 m above sea level. The specimen is the first and unique Pleistocene fossil of this species. Our data provide an unambiguous minimum age of 1.6–1.4 Ma for the species’ presence in Africa and constitutes the first empirical evidence that supports molecular interpretations. Currently, C. simensis is one of the most endangered carnivore species of Africa. Bioclimate niche modeling applied to the time frame indicated by the fossil suggests that the lineage of the Ethiopian wolf faced severe survival challenges in the past, with consecutive drastic geographic range contractions during warmer periods. These models help to describe future scenarios for the survival of the species. Projections ranging from most pessimisti...
The Early Pleistocene archeological site of Fuente Nueva-3 (FN3) preserves some of the oldest evi... more The Early Pleistocene archeological site of Fuente Nueva-3 (FN3) preserves some of the oldest evidence of hominin presence in Western Europe, including a huge assemblage of Oldowan tools and evidence of butchering and marrow processing of large mammal bones. Moreover, there is also evidence of the regular presence of carnivores at the site, including a small proportion of bones that show tooth marks, the majority of which can be attributed to the giant, short-faced hyena Pachycrocuta brevirostris, and there are 220 coprolites, most of them from the Upper Archeological Level. In order to identify the defecating agent, we analyze here the coprolites and compare them with other specimens from the literature and with scats from zoo spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta). The morphology, color, size, and chemical composition of the FN3 coprolites allow us to attribute them to the hyena P. brevirostris, which is also represented at the site by fossil specimens. In addition, we evaluate the orig...
... Europe. Journal of Archaeological Science, 26: 571-585. Arribas, A., Riquelme, JA, Palmqvist,... more ... Europe. Journal of Archaeological Science, 26: 571-585. Arribas, A., Riquelme, JA, Palmqvist, P., Garrido, G., Hernández, R., Laplana, C., Soria, J., Viseras, C., Durán, JJ, Gumiel, P., Robles, F., López-Martínez, J. y Carrión, J. (2001): Un nuevo yacimiento de Page 5. 5 ...
The role of morphometrics as a quantitative discipline in Human Palaeontology is discussed in thi... more The role of morphometrics as a quantitative discipline in Human Palaeontology is discussed in this essay. As an example, comparisons are made between the relative position of reference points in the faces of the robust and hyper-robust australopithecines A. robustus and A. boisei (Rak, 1983), using principal warp analysis (Bookstein, 1991) and the computer programme TPSPLINE of F. James Rohlf. The results obtained in these transformations show a morphological change of equivalent magnitude (reflected by bending energy parameters, 0.976 and 0.908, respecti vely) to that required for shifting the lateral view of the skull of Hyracotherium (Eohippus) to the corresponding one in Equus (Fig. 2: bending energy 0.969), two steps in the evolution of horses which are separated in time by more than 50 Ma. (MacFadden, 1992). However, both transformations are exceeded in the case of strongly marked dimorphism as occurs in mandrils (Primates) (Fig. 3: bending energy 1.285). It is concluded that a reference framework is needed for a proper quantitative assessment of morphometric data before one may decide whether the overall differences between any pair of fossil hominids (e.g., KNM-ER 1470 and KNM-ER 1813, or A. robustus versus A. boisei) may be regarded as sufficiently important to warrant assignment to different species. A proper perspective can only be obtained from a full comparative study of morphometric data related to intraspecific variation in human populations, taking into account individual, ontogenetic and interpopulational differences as well as the sexual dimorphism in panids.
The relationship between body weight and abundance of skeleton remains of macromammal species rec... more The relationship between body weight and abundance of skeleton remains of macromammal species recovered from the Pleistocene Venta Micena locality of Granada, Spain, is analysed using Damuth's taphonomic model. It is shown that the community structure of the original biocoenosis has been preserved to a certain extent during fossilisation and that taphonomic bias is due mainly to weathering processes at the time of subaerial exposure of the skeletal remains before their defi nitive burial. These processes led to differential destruction of the bones in accordance to their relative surfaces, most losses being suffered by species of small body size.
Yacimientos Paleontológicos Excepcionales en la Península Ibérica: XXXIV Jornadas de Paleontología y IV Congreso Ibérico de Paleontología, 2018, ISBN 978-84-9138-066-5, págs. 487-489, 2018
G. Rodríguez-Gómez, J.A. Martín-González y P. Palmqvist 1 Departamento de Matemáticas y Computaci... more G. Rodríguez-Gómez, J.A. Martín-González y P. Palmqvist 1 Departamento de Matemáticas y Computación, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Burgos, Plaza Misael Bañuelos s/n, 09001 – Burgos, España. Email: jamartin@ubu.es 2 PACEA-UMR5199CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, Allée Geoffroy St Hilaire, Bâtiment B18, CS 50023, 33615 – Pessac Cedex, Francia. Email: guillerwilson@gmail.com 3 Departamento de Ecología y Geología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, Campus Universitario de Teatinos s/n, 29071 – Málaga, España. Email: ppb@uma.es
Partiendo de la premisa de dinamizar ciertos recursos existentes en el Departa- mento de Prehisto... more Partiendo de la premisa de dinamizar ciertos recursos existentes en el Departa- mento de Prehistoria y Arqueología (la colección de réplicas osteológicas - cráneos - y un escáner 3D de superficie) nos propusimos como objetivo componer una colección virtual de referencia de materiales osteológicos accesible, com- prensible y funcional, para enriquecer la formación teórico-práctica del alumnado, y contribuir a la mejora de la enseñanza de la evolución humana en los diferentes grados y posgrados de la Universidad de Granada, pero también válido para la investigación.Para ello, se procedió a digitalizar, con un escáner 3D de luz estructurada Ar- tec2000, 25 réplicas de cráneos de individuos significativos para el estudio de la evolución humana y pertenecientes a los principales taxones extintos (australopitecinos –en sentido amplio- y Homo). Además, se realizaron fichas de cada uno de ellos con información relativa a su descubrimiento y adscripción, así como de algunas de las princip...
ABSTRACT Five lithostratigraphic lacustrine sedimentary units have been studied in the Plio-Pleis... more ABSTRACT Five lithostratigraphic lacustrine sedimentary units have been studied in the Plio-Pleistocene sedimentary infilling of the Guadix-Baza basin (Southern Spain). These systems show abundant carbonate facies (mainly marly limestones, limestones and dolomites) and can be ordered chronologically as: Pliocene, Gelasian with terrigenous-carbonate, proximal-type facies (hereafter referred as “proximal facies” Gelasian), Gelasian with carbonate-evaporitic, distal-type facies (hereafter referred as “distal facies” Gelasian), Calabrian and Middle Pleistocene, with both Gelasian units showing a sedimentary lateral relationship. These facies usually characterize the top of elementary sequences composed at the bottom of marls or calcilutites, or of lutites or sandstones, which evidence stages of major contribution of terrigenous inputs. The study of the microfacies has allowed establishing different sedimentary and palaeoecological scenarios, which were determined to a large extent by climatic oscillations and tectonic activity. All these aspects provide clues on a number of environmental conditions for each of the five lacustrine systems defined, including water depth, biological activity, amount of terrigenous inputs, hydrodynamics and periods of subaerial exposure: Pliocene: persistent lacustrine systems with high biological productivity and elevated hydrodynamic activity; Gelasian “proximal facies”: swampy systems linked to an alluvial context; Gelasian “distal facies”: evaporitic and ephemeral playalake lacustrine systems with high biological productivity and laterally connected with alluvial systems; Calabrian: persistent lacustrine and swampy systems with elevated biological productivity, high hydrochemical activity and low influence of alluvial inputs; Middle Pleistocene: short-standing swampy systems of episodic nature, developed in an alluvial context with a certain degree of terrigenous feeding.
The late Early Pleistocene archaeological site of Fuente Nueva 3 (Orce, Guadix-Baza Depression, S... more The late Early Pleistocene archaeological site of Fuente Nueva 3 (Orce, Guadix-Baza Depression, SE Spain), dated to ~1.4 Ma, provides evidence on the subsistence strategies of the first hominin population that dispersed in Western Europe. The site preserves Oldowan tool assemblages associated with abundant remains of large mammals. A small proportion of these remains show cut marks and percussion marks resulting from defleshing and bone fracturing, and a small proportion of bones also show tooth marks. Previous taphonomic studies of FN3 suggested that the hominins had secondary access to the prey leftovers abandoned by sabretooth cats and other primary predators. However, a recent analysis by Yravedra et al. (2021) of the frequency of anthropogenic marks and tooth marks has concluded that the hominins had primary access to the carcasses of a wide variety of ungulate prey, even though the frequency of evisceration marks is strikingly low. In this rebuttal, we analyse the patterns of ...
Abstract Dental morphology and tooth microwear studies are used as analytical proxies for underst... more Abstract Dental morphology and tooth microwear studies are used as analytical proxies for understanding the taxonomy, biochronology, paleobiology and ecogeographical context of Early Pleistocene Ursus species ( U. etruscus ) and other large carnivore taxa (Hyaenidae and Canidae) preserved in the Early Pleistocene (Calabrian) sites from Orce (Guadix-Baza basin, Andalusia, Spain), including Venta Micena (VM), Barranco Leon (BL-D) and Fuente Nueva-3 (FN-3). The results of this study suggest varied dietary habits and behavior among Ursus species and other carnivorous taxa. Morphologically, the bunodont dentition and microwear patterns of Ursus etruscus advanced forms from VM, BL-D and FN-3 indicate their omnivorous feeding ecology, in agreement with the dietary habits of extant brown bear, Ursus arctos (a purported descendant of U . etruscus ). However, in the case of VM isotopic analyses of bioapatite and bone collagen suggest a significant contribution of fish in their diet, as in the case of some populations of modern brown bear, and also a regular consumption of plant tissues, as evidenced by the comparatively high δ 15 N and δ 18 O values in this extinct species, respectively.
Ancient evidence of human presence in europe is recorded in several early pleistocene archaeopala... more Ancient evidence of human presence in europe is recorded in several early pleistocene archaeopalaeontological sites from Spain, france and italy. this is the case of Barranco León (BL) and Fuente Nueva-3 (FN-3), two localities placed near the town of Orce (depression of Baza and Guadix, SE Spain) and dated to ~1.4 Ma. At these sites, huge assemblages of Oldowan tools and evidence of defleshing, butchering and marrow processing of large mammal bones have been recovered together with a deciduous tooth of Homo sp. in the case of level BL-D. In this study, we: (i) describe in detail the anthropic marks found in the bone assemblages from these sites; (ii) analyse patterns of defleshment, butchery and marrow processing, based on the modifications identified in the cortical surface of the fossils; and (iii) discuss on the subsistence strategies of the first hominins that inhabited the European subcontinent during early pleistocene times.
The origin of the genus Bos is a debated issue. From ∼0.5 Ma until historic times, the genus is w... more The origin of the genus Bos is a debated issue. From ∼0.5 Ma until historic times, the genus is well known in the Eurasian large mammal assemblages, where it is represented by Bos primigenius. This species has a highly derived cranial anatomy that shows important morphological differences from other Plio-Pleistocene Eurasian genera of the tribe Bovini such as Leptobos, Bison, Proamphibos-Hemibos, and Bubalus. The oldest clear evidence of Bos is the skull fragment ASB-198-1 from the middle Pleistocene (∼0.6-0.8 Ma) site of Asbole (Lower Awash Valley, Ethiopia). The first appearance of Bos in Europe is at the site of Venosa-Notarchirico, Italy (∼0.5-0.6 Ma). Although the origin of Bos has traditionally been connected with Leptobos and Bison, after a detailed anatomical and morphometric study we propose here a different origin, connecting the middle Pleistocene Eurasian forms of B. primigenius with the African Late Pliocene and early Pleistocene large size member of the tribe Bovini Pelorovis sensu stricto. The dispersal of the Bos lineage in Western Europe during middle Pleistocene times seems to coincide with the arrival of the Acheulean tool technology in this continent.
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