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Joshua A . Lindal

    Joshua A . Lindal

    The hominin mandible BH-1 from the Middle Pleistocene cave of Mala Balanica suggested the possibility that human populations in this part of the continent were not subject to the process of Neanderthali-zation observed in the west. We... more
    The hominin mandible BH-1 from the Middle Pleistocene cave of Mala Balanica suggested the possibility that human populations in this part of the continent were not subject to the process of Neanderthali-zation observed in the west. We review the paleoanthropological evidence from the Central Balkans in the context of the Eastern Mediterranean geographic entity. The current hominin fossil record of the early Middle Pleistocene in the region suggests that Europe was inhabited by two different populations: a population in the west of the continent with derived Neanderthal morphology; and a more variable population in the east characterized by a combination of plesiomorphous and synapomorphous traits. We suggest that e in order to continue using the nomenclature of Homo heidelbergensis e the current hypodigm needs to be revised to include only the specimens from the latter group.
    The Central Balkans represents a significant geographical gap in the human fossil record of Eurasia. Here we present two new human fossils from Pešturina Cave, Serbia: a partial atlas vertebra (C1) and a fragment of radial diaphysis. The... more
    The Central Balkans represents a significant geographical gap in the human fossil record of Eurasia. Here we present two new human fossils from Pešturina Cave, Serbia: a partial atlas vertebra (C1) and a fragment of radial diaphysis. The atlas (Pes-1) derives from the lower portion of Layer 2 and conforms to modern human morphology. This layer is characterized by Gravettian industry despite uncertainties caused by bioturbation and difficulties in separating Layers 2 and 3. The radial fragment (Pes-2) was recovered from the contact zone between Layers 3 and 4, both of which represent Mousterian industries, and is tentatively assessed as Neanderthal based on morphology. With the recent publication of a Neanderthal molar (Pes-3) from the same site, Pešturina currently stands as the only Neanderthal fossil-bearing site in Serbia. These additional finds make Pešturina Cave the only site in the Central Balkans which preserves both modern human and Neanderthal remains with associated lithic industries and highlights the importance of Pešturina in the current discourse on hominin dispersals and migrations in the Balkans.
    The cercopithecid fossil record of the Balkan Peninsula extends from the Late Miocene to the Early Pleistocene, but to date no fossils of non-human primates have been identified in Serbia. Here we report the identification of two primate... more
    The cercopithecid fossil record of the Balkan Peninsula extends from the Late Miocene to the Early Pleistocene, but to date no fossils of non-human primates have been identified in Serbia. Here we report the identification of two primate teeth from Ridjake, a rich paleontological site in western Serbia. NHMBEO 042501 is an upper third molar with heavy occlusal wear and taphonomic weathering. NHMBEO 042502 is a well-preserved lower third molar with only minor damage to the cusps and root apices. We performed an analysis of non-metric traits and made bivariate comparisons of crown linear measurements in order to assess the taxonomic affinity of the molars. Both show typical papionin occlusal patterns and relatively large overall sizes. In combination with the early Villafranchian (MN16) age of the site, we attribute both Ridjake primate fossils to cf. Paradolichopithecus sp. This represents the first identification of a non-human primate in Serbia, and the first identification of any primate in the Neogene period of Serbia. Along with recent hominin discoveries, the Ridjake fossils contribute to the growing primate fossil record in Serbia, and indicate the need for increased research into fossil primates in the country.
    Neanderthals were the only human group in Europe throughout the Late Pleistocene until the arrival of modern humans, and while their presence has been confirmed in the surrounding regions, no Neanderthal fossils are known to date from the... more
    Neanderthals were the only human group in Europe throughout the Late Pleistocene until the arrival of modern humans, and while their presence has been confirmed in the surrounding regions, no Neanderthal fossils are known to date from the Central Balkans. Systematic excavations of Pešturina Cave (Serbia) resulted in the discovery of a permanent right M1 (Pes-3). The specimen was recovered from stratigraphic Layer 4b with an estimated age of 102.4 ± 3.2 ka, associated with Mousterian artifacts. The exceptional state of preservation and minimal wear of the molar enabled a detailed description and comparative analysis of the inner and outer dental structure, including non-metric dental traits and morphometric features of the crown, roots, and dental tissues. The results of this study strongly support the identification of Pes-3 as Neanderthal. Non-metric traits of the occlusal surface of the crown, enamel-dentine junction, and roots are consistent with Neanderthal morphology. The crown shows morphometric features typical for Neanderthal M1, such as a buccolingually skewed crown shape, internally compressed cusps, and a relatively large hypocone. The specimen also shows Neanderthal-like dental tissue proportions, characterized by relatively thin enamel and large coronal dentine and coronal pulp volumes. The discovery of the Pes-3 molar therefore confirms the presence of Neanderthals in the territory of Serbia and the Central Balkans at the end of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5c.
    tA fragmented human calotte was discovered during the early 1950snear Baˇcki Petrovac (Serbia), in association with Palaeolithic stonetools. After its initial publication, the fossil specimen remainedlargely unknown outside of the Serbian... more
    tA fragmented human calotte was discovered during the early 1950snear Baˇcki Petrovac (Serbia), in association with Palaeolithic stonetools. After its initial publication, the fossil specimen remainedlargely unknown outside of the Serbian academe and no detailedcomparative study has ever been carried out. Since the whereaboutsof the fossil itself are currently unknown, and given its potentialsignificance for the Pleistocene human evolution, we re-examinethe data published byˇZivanovi´c (1966, 1975). Using the originalmeasurements, mostly taken on the frontal bone, and a wide com-parative sample of 68 fossil specimens, the fossil was compared andanalyzed by statistical multivariate methods. We also conducted avisual examination of the morphology based on the available pho-tographic material. Our analysis reveals phenetic similarity withMiddle Pleistocene archaic Homo from Africa and anatomicallymodern Homo sapiens. However, the absence of primitive cranialtraits in Baˇcki Petrovac indicates a clear modern Homo sapiens des-ignation. Although lost at the moment, there is a chance for there-discovery of the fossil in the years to come. This would give usan opportunity to acquire absolute dates and to study the specimenin a more detailed manner.