During the final season of excavation in Mishin Kamik Cave the existing trench was extended verti... more During the final season of excavation in Mishin Kamik Cave the existing trench was extended vertically (by 0.50 m), and a smaller trench was excavated between the main trench and the eastern cave wall (fig. 1). The lithostratigraphic sequence comprised 8 layers; the lower part of the sequence was best presented in the north profile (fig. 2). Two new speleothem dates, from the crusts in the upper parts of trench 4 and profile 2, gave ages of 128.6±0.9 ka and 124.1±3.3 ka, respectively. These dates provide a terminus ante quem for all structures and finds between layers 3 and 8. Compared to the previous season, no taxonomic differences were observed among the faunal remains, the mammalian fauna as a whole indicating a mosaic steppe landscape. Interdisciplinary analyses, including XRF and RAMAN spectroscopy of sediment samples and microscopic identification of charred particles, have provided a rich dataset that will facilitate diachronic correlation of humanpalaeoenvironmental proxies.
Dating fossil hominids and reconstructing their environments is critically important for understa... more Dating fossil hominids and reconstructing their environments is critically important for understanding human evolution. Here we date the potentially oldest hominin, Graecopithecus freybergi from Europe and constrain the environmental conditions under which it thrived. For the Graecopithecus-bearing Pikermi Formation of Attica/Greece, a saline aeolian dust deposit of North African (Sahara) provenance, we obtain an age of 7.37–7.11 Ma, which is coeval with a dramatic cooling in the Mediterranean region at the Tortonian-Messinian transition. Palaeobotanic proxies demonstrate C4-grass dominated wooded grassland-to-woodland habitats of a savannah biome for the Pikermi Formation. Faunal turnover at the Tortonian-Messinian transition led to the spread of new mammalian taxa along with Graeco-pithecus into Europe. The type mandible of G. freybergi from Pyrgos (7.175 Ma) and the single tooth (7.24 Ma) from Azmaka (Bulgaria) represent the first hominids of Messinian age from continental Europe. Our results suggest that major splits in the hominid family occurred outside Africa.
A hominid upper premolar was discovered in the Azmaka quarry, near Chirpan (Bulgaria). The associ... more A hominid upper premolar was discovered in the Azmaka quarry, near Chirpan (Bulgaria). The associated fauna, especially the co-occurrence of Choerolophodon and Anancus among the proboscideans, and Cremohipparion matthewi and Hippotherium brachypus among the hipparions, constrains the age of the locality to the second half of the middle Turolian (ca. 7 Ma), making it the latest pre-human hominid of continental Europe and Asia Minor. The available morphological and metric data are more similar to those of Ouranopithecus from the Vallesian of Greece than to those of the early to middle Turolian hominids of Turkey and Georgia, but the time gap speaks against a direct phyletic link, and Turolian migration from the east cannot be rejected.
Two trenches excavated at Magura Cave, northwest Bulgaria, have provided Late Pleistocene lithic ... more Two trenches excavated at Magura Cave, northwest Bulgaria, have provided Late Pleistocene lithic artefacts as well as environmental evidence in the form of large and small mammals, herpetofauna and pollen recovered from Crocuta coprolites. One of the trenches also has a visible tephra layer which has been confirmed as representing the major Campanian Ignimbrite eruption and is accurately dated at the source area to 39,280 ± 55 yrs and radiocarbon determinations have added to chronological resolution at the site. The palaeoenvironment of the region during the Late Pleistocene is discussed in the context of hominin presence and shows a mosaic landscape in a region considered a crucial refugium for both plants and mammals, including hominins.
Two trenches excavated at Magura Cave, north-west Bulgaria, have provided Late Pleistocene lithic... more Two trenches excavated at Magura Cave, north-west Bulgaria, have provided Late Pleistocene lithic artefacts as well as environmental evidence in the form of large and small mammals, herpetofauna and pollen recovered from Crocuta coprolites. One of the trenches also has a visible tephra layer which has been confirmed as representing the major Campanian Ignimbrite eruption and is accurately dated at the source area to 39,280 ± 55 yrs and radiocarbon determinations have added to chronological resolution at the site. The palaeoenvironment of the region during the Late Pleistocene is discussed in the context of hominin presence and shows a mosaic landscape in a region considered a crucial refugium for both plants and mammals, including hominins.
The aim of this study is to describe the environments where the cercopithecid Mesopithecus was fo... more The aim of this study is to describe the environments where the cercopithecid Mesopithecus was found during latest Miocene in Europe. For this purpose, we investigate the paleoecology of the herbivorous ungulate mesofauna of three very rich late Miocene fossil localities from southwestern Bulgaria: Hadjidimovo, Kalimantsi and Strumyani. While Mesopithecus has been found in the two first localities, no primate remains have yet been identified in Strumyani. Comparison between localities with and without primates using the herbivore mesofauna allows the cross-corroboration of paleoenvironmental conditions where this primate did and did not live. A multi-parameter statistical approach involving 117 equid and 345 bovid fossil dental and postcranial (phalanges, metapodia, astragali) remains from these three localities provides species to generic-level diet and locomotor habit information in order to characterize the environment in which Mesopithecus evolved. The analysis of dental mesowear indicates that the bovids were mainly mixed feeders, while coeval equids were more engaged in grazing. Meanwhile, postcranial remains show that the ungulate species from Hadjidimovo and Kalimantsi evolved in dry environments with a continuum of habitats ranging from slightly wooded areas to relatively open landscapes, whereas the Mesopithecus-free Strumyani locality was in comparison reflecting a rather contrasted mosaic of environments with predominant open and some more closed and wet areas. Environments in which Mesopithecus is known during the late Miocene were not contrasted landscapes combining open grassy areas and dense forested patches, but instead rather restricted to slightly wooded and homogeneous landscapes including a developed grassy herbaceous layer.
A large number of hipparion skulls from Hadzhidimovo-1 (HD) are studied herein. The sample includ... more A large number of hipparion skulls from Hadzhidimovo-1 (HD) are studied herein. The sample includes individuals of various ages that allow the investigator to study their ontogenetic development. Two species of hipparion are recognized, including Hippotherium brachypus Hensel, 1862 and Cremohipparion mediterraneum Roth & Wagner, 1855. A study of the lateral aspect of the face, including the maxillary and premaxillary regions were made with specific attention paid to the placement of the preorbital and subnasal (= intermediate) fossae. The morphology of these structures are found to be of taxonomic value. This study reveals that the most intensive growth of the cheek region in both species is the period during which the maxillary M2 erupts and that the two species have different modes of ontogenetic changes in the location of preorbital fossa. During ontogeny, the preorbital fossa of Hippotherium brachypus migrates further from the orbit, while in the C. mediterraneum samples the preorbital fossa does not migrate - it remains stationary into and throughout adulthood. This study documents intraspecific variability in preorbital fossa morphology, throughout the ontogeny for both species of hipparion under consideration.
During the final season of excavation in Mishin Kamik Cave the existing trench was extended verti... more During the final season of excavation in Mishin Kamik Cave the existing trench was extended vertically (by 0.50 m), and a smaller trench was excavated between the main trench and the eastern cave wall (fig. 1). The lithostratigraphic sequence comprised 8 layers; the lower part of the sequence was best presented in the north profile (fig. 2). Two new speleothem dates, from the crusts in the upper parts of trench 4 and profile 2, gave ages of 128.6±0.9 ka and 124.1±3.3 ka, respectively. These dates provide a terminus ante quem for all structures and finds between layers 3 and 8. Compared to the previous season, no taxonomic differences were observed among the faunal remains, the mammalian fauna as a whole indicating a mosaic steppe landscape. Interdisciplinary analyses, including XRF and RAMAN spectroscopy of sediment samples and microscopic identification of charred particles, have provided a rich dataset that will facilitate diachronic correlation of humanpalaeoenvironmental proxies.
Dating fossil hominids and reconstructing their environments is critically important for understa... more Dating fossil hominids and reconstructing their environments is critically important for understanding human evolution. Here we date the potentially oldest hominin, Graecopithecus freybergi from Europe and constrain the environmental conditions under which it thrived. For the Graecopithecus-bearing Pikermi Formation of Attica/Greece, a saline aeolian dust deposit of North African (Sahara) provenance, we obtain an age of 7.37–7.11 Ma, which is coeval with a dramatic cooling in the Mediterranean region at the Tortonian-Messinian transition. Palaeobotanic proxies demonstrate C4-grass dominated wooded grassland-to-woodland habitats of a savannah biome for the Pikermi Formation. Faunal turnover at the Tortonian-Messinian transition led to the spread of new mammalian taxa along with Graeco-pithecus into Europe. The type mandible of G. freybergi from Pyrgos (7.175 Ma) and the single tooth (7.24 Ma) from Azmaka (Bulgaria) represent the first hominids of Messinian age from continental Europe. Our results suggest that major splits in the hominid family occurred outside Africa.
A hominid upper premolar was discovered in the Azmaka quarry, near Chirpan (Bulgaria). The associ... more A hominid upper premolar was discovered in the Azmaka quarry, near Chirpan (Bulgaria). The associated fauna, especially the co-occurrence of Choerolophodon and Anancus among the proboscideans, and Cremohipparion matthewi and Hippotherium brachypus among the hipparions, constrains the age of the locality to the second half of the middle Turolian (ca. 7 Ma), making it the latest pre-human hominid of continental Europe and Asia Minor. The available morphological and metric data are more similar to those of Ouranopithecus from the Vallesian of Greece than to those of the early to middle Turolian hominids of Turkey and Georgia, but the time gap speaks against a direct phyletic link, and Turolian migration from the east cannot be rejected.
Two trenches excavated at Magura Cave, northwest Bulgaria, have provided Late Pleistocene lithic ... more Two trenches excavated at Magura Cave, northwest Bulgaria, have provided Late Pleistocene lithic artefacts as well as environmental evidence in the form of large and small mammals, herpetofauna and pollen recovered from Crocuta coprolites. One of the trenches also has a visible tephra layer which has been confirmed as representing the major Campanian Ignimbrite eruption and is accurately dated at the source area to 39,280 ± 55 yrs and radiocarbon determinations have added to chronological resolution at the site. The palaeoenvironment of the region during the Late Pleistocene is discussed in the context of hominin presence and shows a mosaic landscape in a region considered a crucial refugium for both plants and mammals, including hominins.
Two trenches excavated at Magura Cave, north-west Bulgaria, have provided Late Pleistocene lithic... more Two trenches excavated at Magura Cave, north-west Bulgaria, have provided Late Pleistocene lithic artefacts as well as environmental evidence in the form of large and small mammals, herpetofauna and pollen recovered from Crocuta coprolites. One of the trenches also has a visible tephra layer which has been confirmed as representing the major Campanian Ignimbrite eruption and is accurately dated at the source area to 39,280 ± 55 yrs and radiocarbon determinations have added to chronological resolution at the site. The palaeoenvironment of the region during the Late Pleistocene is discussed in the context of hominin presence and shows a mosaic landscape in a region considered a crucial refugium for both plants and mammals, including hominins.
The aim of this study is to describe the environments where the cercopithecid Mesopithecus was fo... more The aim of this study is to describe the environments where the cercopithecid Mesopithecus was found during latest Miocene in Europe. For this purpose, we investigate the paleoecology of the herbivorous ungulate mesofauna of three very rich late Miocene fossil localities from southwestern Bulgaria: Hadjidimovo, Kalimantsi and Strumyani. While Mesopithecus has been found in the two first localities, no primate remains have yet been identified in Strumyani. Comparison between localities with and without primates using the herbivore mesofauna allows the cross-corroboration of paleoenvironmental conditions where this primate did and did not live. A multi-parameter statistical approach involving 117 equid and 345 bovid fossil dental and postcranial (phalanges, metapodia, astragali) remains from these three localities provides species to generic-level diet and locomotor habit information in order to characterize the environment in which Mesopithecus evolved. The analysis of dental mesowear indicates that the bovids were mainly mixed feeders, while coeval equids were more engaged in grazing. Meanwhile, postcranial remains show that the ungulate species from Hadjidimovo and Kalimantsi evolved in dry environments with a continuum of habitats ranging from slightly wooded areas to relatively open landscapes, whereas the Mesopithecus-free Strumyani locality was in comparison reflecting a rather contrasted mosaic of environments with predominant open and some more closed and wet areas. Environments in which Mesopithecus is known during the late Miocene were not contrasted landscapes combining open grassy areas and dense forested patches, but instead rather restricted to slightly wooded and homogeneous landscapes including a developed grassy herbaceous layer.
A large number of hipparion skulls from Hadzhidimovo-1 (HD) are studied herein. The sample includ... more A large number of hipparion skulls from Hadzhidimovo-1 (HD) are studied herein. The sample includes individuals of various ages that allow the investigator to study their ontogenetic development. Two species of hipparion are recognized, including Hippotherium brachypus Hensel, 1862 and Cremohipparion mediterraneum Roth & Wagner, 1855. A study of the lateral aspect of the face, including the maxillary and premaxillary regions were made with specific attention paid to the placement of the preorbital and subnasal (= intermediate) fossae. The morphology of these structures are found to be of taxonomic value. This study reveals that the most intensive growth of the cheek region in both species is the period during which the maxillary M2 erupts and that the two species have different modes of ontogenetic changes in the location of preorbital fossa. During ontogeny, the preorbital fossa of Hippotherium brachypus migrates further from the orbit, while in the C. mediterraneum samples the preorbital fossa does not migrate - it remains stationary into and throughout adulthood. This study documents intraspecific variability in preorbital fossa morphology, throughout the ontogeny for both species of hipparion under consideration.
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Compared to the previous season, no taxonomic differences were observed among the faunal remains, the mammalian fauna as a whole indicating a mosaic steppe landscape. Interdisciplinary analyses, including XRF and RAMAN spectroscopy of sediment samples and microscopic identification of charred particles, have provided a rich dataset that will facilitate diachronic correlation of humanpalaeoenvironmental proxies.
Compared to the previous season, no taxonomic differences were observed among the faunal remains, the mammalian fauna as a whole indicating a mosaic steppe landscape. Interdisciplinary analyses, including XRF and RAMAN spectroscopy of sediment samples and microscopic identification of charred particles, have provided a rich dataset that will facilitate diachronic correlation of humanpalaeoenvironmental proxies.