Pub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-02-18DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2026.103816
Carlos A. Palancar , Markus Bastir , Daniel García-Martínez , Antonio García-Tabernero , Antonio Rosas
{"title":"The axis (C2) from El Sidrón and its implications for Neanderthal upper cervical spine form","authors":"Carlos A. Palancar , Markus Bastir , Daniel García-Martínez , Antonio García-Tabernero , Antonio Rosas","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2026.103816","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2026.103816","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"213 ","pages":"Article 103816"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146229752","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-18DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2026.103825
Amanda Merino-Pelaz, Lucía Cobo-Sánchez
Neanderthal and anatomically modern human (AMH) occupations have long been hypothesized to differ in spatial organization, yet multisite quantitative comparisons remain scarce. Here we use cluster modeling to quantify four spatial metrics (parent intensity κ, cluster scale s, cluster strength ϕ, and sibling probability p) from 21 Middle Paleolithic (MP) and Upper Paleolithic (UP) assemblages, spanning cave and open-air contexts. We combine these metrics into two principal axes-compactness vs. dispersion and clustering scale-and assess their relationship to cultural period, site context, hearth counts, and functionality through regression analyses. Our results show that cultural affiliation is the strongest and most consistent predictor: UP sites are significantly more compact than MP ones, independent of context or occupation features. This pattern suggests that AMH groups structured their living spaces in more spatially constrained and segregated ways, with implications for the evolution of camp organization, activity planning, and social cohesion. At the same time, we find marked variability within MP sites, with some Neanderthal occupations approaching the spatial compactness typical of UP sites. These results provide the first multivariate evidence that while broad differences exist between Neanderthals and AMHs, elements of 'modern' spatial behavior also emerged among Neanderthals, pointing to a more complex and overlapping processes of social and spatial organization in the Late Pleistocene.
{"title":"A comparative multivariate analysis of spatial clustering in Neanderthal and anatomically modern human occupations.","authors":"Amanda Merino-Pelaz, Lucía Cobo-Sánchez","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2026.103825","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2026.103825","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Neanderthal and anatomically modern human (AMH) occupations have long been hypothesized to differ in spatial organization, yet multisite quantitative comparisons remain scarce. Here we use cluster modeling to quantify four spatial metrics (parent intensity κ, cluster scale s, cluster strength ϕ, and sibling probability p) from 21 Middle Paleolithic (MP) and Upper Paleolithic (UP) assemblages, spanning cave and open-air contexts. We combine these metrics into two principal axes-compactness vs. dispersion and clustering scale-and assess their relationship to cultural period, site context, hearth counts, and functionality through regression analyses. Our results show that cultural affiliation is the strongest and most consistent predictor: UP sites are significantly more compact than MP ones, independent of context or occupation features. This pattern suggests that AMH groups structured their living spaces in more spatially constrained and segregated ways, with implications for the evolution of camp organization, activity planning, and social cohesion. At the same time, we find marked variability within MP sites, with some Neanderthal occupations approaching the spatial compactness typical of UP sites. These results provide the first multivariate evidence that while broad differences exist between Neanderthals and AMHs, elements of 'modern' spatial behavior also emerged among Neanderthals, pointing to a more complex and overlapping processes of social and spatial organization in the Late Pleistocene.</p>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"213 ","pages":"103825"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147488513","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-02-16DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2026.103808
Arthur Gicqueau , Bruno Maureille , Sandrine Costamagno , Kseniya Kolobova , William Rendu , Sergei Markin , Bence Viola
Located in the northernmost part of Central Asia, the western foothills of the Altai Mountains (Western Siberia) represent to date the easternmost known boundary of Neanderthal distribution, far from their main cultural areas currently known in Western Eurasia. This geographic situation suggests the possibility of distinct cultural and biological traits in Altai Neanderthals. In this region, Chagyrskaya Cave contains the most substantial paleoanthropological collection, with 75 remains, including 20 craniodental elements attributed to at least eight individuals of varying ages (22 permanent teeth and four deciduous teeth), dating to between approximately 59 and 51 ka BP. Previous paleogenetic analyses suggest several individuals from this site are closely related. Our study is the first to comprehensively analyze the morphology of the entire set of dentognathic elements. In this study, we document the phenotypic variability of the Chagyrskaya’s individuals by examining the dimensions and proportions of the crown and root tissues, the nonmetric traits of the outer enamel surface, and the enamel-dentine junction of the 26 teeth from this site and by comparing them to published data of both fossil and more recent material. Furthermore, we explore aspects related to their lifestyle and behavior describing the antemortem lesions affecting their dentognathic elements. Our results show that the dental traits of these human remains fall within the known Neanderthal phenotypic variability while also presenting certain specificities, the origins of which we discuss. In addition, the identification of several lesions on some of these fossils allows us to document their oral health and the use of their teeth for paramasticatory activities.
位于中亚最北端的阿尔泰山脉（西伯利亚西部）的西部山麓是迄今为止已知的尼安德特人分布的最东端边界，远离目前已知的尼安德特人在欧亚大陆西部的主要文化区。这种地理位置表明，阿尔泰尼安德特人可能具有独特的文化和生物特征。在该地区，Chagyrskaya洞穴拥有最丰富的古人类标本，共有75件遗骸，其中包括至少8个不同年龄的个体（22颗恒牙和4颗乳牙）的20个颅碘元素，其年代约在59 - 51 ka BP之间。先前的古成因分析表明，该遗址的几个个体关系密切。我们的研究首次全面分析了整个牙颌元素的形态。在这项研究中，我们记录了Chagyrskaya个体的表型变异，通过检查冠和根组织的尺寸和比例，外牙釉质表面的非计量特征，以及该地点26颗牙齿的牙釉质-牙本质连接，并将它们与化石和最新材料的已发表数据进行比较。此外，我们探讨了与他们的生活方式和行为有关的方面，这些方面描述了影响他们牙颌元素的临终病变。我们的研究结果表明，这些人类遗骸的牙齿特征属于已知的尼安德特人表型变异性，同时也呈现出某些特异性，我们讨论了其起源。此外，在其中一些化石上发现的几个病变使我们能够记录他们的口腔健康状况和使用牙齿进行辅助吞咽活动。
{"title":"The dentognathic material of the Neanderthals from Chagyrskaya (Altai, Russia): Morphology and paleobiology","authors":"Arthur Gicqueau , Bruno Maureille , Sandrine Costamagno , Kseniya Kolobova , William Rendu , Sergei Markin , Bence Viola","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2026.103808","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2026.103808","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Located in the northernmost part of Central Asia, the western foothills of the Altai Mountains (Western Siberia) represent to date the easternmost known boundary of Neanderthal distribution, far from their main cultural areas currently known in Western Eurasia. This geographic situation suggests the possibility of distinct cultural and biological traits in Altai Neanderthals. In this region, Chagyrskaya Cave contains the most substantial paleoanthropological collection, with 75 remains, including 20 craniodental elements attributed to at least eight individuals of varying ages (22 permanent teeth and four deciduous teeth), dating to between approximately 59 and 51 ka BP. Previous paleogenetic analyses suggest several individuals from this site are closely related. Our study is the first to comprehensively analyze the morphology of the entire set of dentognathic elements. In this study, we document the phenotypic variability of the Chagyrskaya’s individuals by examining the dimensions and proportions of the crown and root tissues, the nonmetric traits of the outer enamel surface, and the enamel-dentine junction of the 26 teeth from this site and by comparing them to published data of both fossil and more recent material. Furthermore, we explore aspects related to their lifestyle and behavior describing the antemortem lesions affecting their dentognathic elements. Our results show that the dental traits of these human remains fall within the known Neanderthal phenotypic variability while also presenting certain specificities, the origins of which we discuss. In addition, the identification of several lesions on some of these fossils allows us to document their oral health and the use of their teeth for paramasticatory activities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"212 ","pages":"Article 103808"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146214951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-02-13DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2026.103807
Bruce Winterhalder , Eugène Morin
Textual analysis of 425 cases of endurance pursuit hunts (EPHs) found in ethnohistoric and ethnographic sources reveals the diversity, extent, and effectiveness of the endurance pursuit tactic. Endurance pursuits involve persistently running after an encountered animal, often for hours, until it can be subdued, the tactic frequently involving bouts of walking and tracking. Building on this definition, we assess the plausibility of five hypotheses that could account for the evolution of endurance pursuit strategies in hominins: i) optimization of subsistence efficiency, ii) risk minimization, iii) honest signaling of hunting prowess, iv) acquisition of alternative resources such as skin or fat, and v) procurement of game for spiritual reasons. Our test of these hypotheses also aids in delineating the contexts and factors that affect the success of EPHs. Crusted snow or high ambient temperatures favor the technique. Endurance pursuit hunters train from a young age, pace themselves carefully, and take advantage of prey cycles of flight and pause for recovery. Endurance pursuit hunts are predominantly a male activity, although females sometimes participate. Medium- to large-sized herbivores and carnivores are the main targets. Among the five tested hypotheses, our results indicate that EPHs are most consistent with optimization of subsistence efficiency, risk minimization, and costly signaling. These fitness goals could have provided a significant selective context for the evolution in early hominins of a running gait.
{"title":"Endurance pursuit hunting among recent foragers and its relevance for hominin locomotor evolution","authors":"Bruce Winterhalder , Eugène Morin","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2026.103807","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2026.103807","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Textual analysis of 425 cases of endurance pursuit hunts (EPHs) found in ethnohistoric and ethnographic sources reveals the diversity, extent, and effectiveness of the endurance pursuit tactic. Endurance pursuits involve persistently running after an encountered animal, often for hours, until it can be subdued, the tactic frequently involving bouts of walking and tracking. Building on this definition, we assess the plausibility of five hypotheses that could account for the evolution of endurance pursuit strategies in hominins: i) optimization of subsistence efficiency, ii) risk minimization, iii) honest signaling of hunting prowess, iv) acquisition of alternative resources such as skin or fat, and v) procurement of game for spiritual reasons. Our test of these hypotheses also aids in delineating the contexts and factors that affect the success of EPHs. Crusted snow or high ambient temperatures favor the technique. Endurance pursuit hunters train from a young age, pace themselves carefully, and take advantage of prey cycles of flight and pause for recovery. Endurance pursuit hunts are predominantly a male activity, although females sometimes participate. Medium- to large-sized herbivores and carnivores are the main targets. Among the five tested hypotheses, our results indicate that EPHs are most consistent with optimization of subsistence efficiency, risk minimization, and costly signaling. These fitness goals could have provided a significant selective context for the evolution in early hominins of a running gait.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"212 ","pages":"Article 103807"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146175334","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-12-15DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103789
Antonio Pineda , Beniamino Mecozzi , Alessio Iannucci , Palmira Saladié , Marco Carpentieri , Raffaele Sardella , Marie-Hélène Moncel
The early Middle Pleistocene is characterized by a significant turnover in the fauna across Europe, creating new niches and new subsistence opportunities for hominin populations. Open-air sites provide a unique opportunity to study the distinct and effective resource acquisition strategies that were developed by hominins during this period. The archaeological site of Notarchirico (695–610 ka) is a key locality for the study of the behavior of hominin groups in the Italian Peninsula and Western Europe. The site is one of the few open-air sites to have yielded human remains, namely a femur fragment of Homo heidelbergensis, in such ancient chronologies. Notarchirico also yielded numerous lithic and faunal remains, although the latter, despite their abundance, have so far received scarce attention from a taphonomic perspective. Here we present a study of the site, including material from both ancient and modern collections. Spatial and taphonomic inferences can be drawn about the formation of the assemblages, as well as behavioral inferences about the Middle Pleistocene hominin populations. Despite the poor preservation of the bones, the data suggest that both hominins and carnivores foraged in the area. From a taphonomic perspective, spatial analyses suggest that water flows may have altered the association between osteological and lithic assemblages. There is compelling evidence that suggests that hominin groups inhabited the area surrounding the site for a minimum of 100 ka as the region was abundant in resources. Notarchirico is a pivotal site for understanding the adaptation of hominins and their interaction with the Middle Pleistocene ecosystems.
{"title":"The site of Notarchirico (Venosa Basin, Italy) and the hominin behavior in the Middle Pleistocene: New insights from taphonomy and spatial archaeology","authors":"Antonio Pineda , Beniamino Mecozzi , Alessio Iannucci , Palmira Saladié , Marco Carpentieri , Raffaele Sardella , Marie-Hélène Moncel","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103789","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103789","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The early Middle Pleistocene is characterized by a significant turnover in the fauna across Europe, creating new niches and new subsistence opportunities for hominin populations. Open-air sites provide a unique opportunity to study the distinct and effective resource acquisition strategies that were developed by hominins during this period. The archaeological site of Notarchirico (695–610 ka) is a key locality for the study of the behavior of hominin groups in the Italian Peninsula and Western Europe. The site is one of the few open-air sites to have yielded human remains, namely a femur fragment of <em>Homo heidelbergensis</em>, in such ancient chronologies. Notarchirico also yielded numerous lithic and faunal remains, although the latter, despite their abundance, have so far received scarce attention from a taphonomic perspective. Here we present a study of the site, including material from both ancient and modern collections. Spatial and taphonomic inferences can be drawn about the formation of the assemblages, as well as behavioral inferences about the Middle Pleistocene hominin populations. Despite the poor preservation of the bones, the data suggest that both hominins and carnivores foraged in the area. From a taphonomic perspective, spatial analyses suggest that water flows may have altered the association between osteological and lithic assemblages. There is compelling evidence that suggests that hominin groups inhabited the area surrounding the site for a minimum of 100 ka as the region was abundant in resources. Notarchirico is a pivotal site for understanding the adaptation of hominins and their interaction with the Middle Pleistocene ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"211 ","pages":"Article 103789"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145769801","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2026-01-16DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103797
Laura Martín-Francés , María Martinón-Torres , Marina Lozano , María Hernaiz-García , Juan Luis Arsuaga , José María Bermúdez de Castro , Luca Fiorenza
Molar macrowear analysis is a valuable tool for inferring dietary preferences in extinct hominins, ultimately aiding in the reconstruction of subsistence strategies and paleoenvironmental conditions. Radiometric studies suggest that the Middle Pleistocene population from the Atapuerca-Sima de los Huesos site likely lived during Marine Isotope Stage 12, one of the coldest global periods. In this study, we applied the occlusal fingerprint analysis method to maxillary M1s and M2s from this population to assess whether their macrowear patterns reflect these environmental conditions. Given the nature of the hominin accumulation and the limited availability of faunal, lithic, and pollen remains at the site, we rely on published data from the nearby Trinchera sites of Gran Dolina and Galería to reconstruct paleoecological conditions and subsistence strategies. Our occlusal fingerprint analysis results indicate that the Sima de los Huesos population had a mixed diet, consuming similar proportions of meat and plant foods. This dietary pattern does not align with expectations for a strictly cold environment, such as that of Marine Isotope Stage 12, but instead it suggests a diverse landscape, as supported by pollen, faunal, and isotopic evidence.
臼齿宏观磨损分析是推断已灭绝古人类饮食偏好的重要工具，最终有助于重建生存策略和古环境条件。放射学研究表明，阿塔普韦尔卡-西玛德洛斯韦索斯遗址的中更新世人群可能生活在海洋同位素阶段12，这是全球最冷的时期之一。在本研究中，我们采用咬合指纹分析方法对该人群的上颌m1和M2s进行分析，以评估其宏观磨损模式是否反映了这些环境条件。考虑到古人类聚集的性质以及该遗址的动物、石器和花粉遗迹的有限可用性，我们依靠来自格兰多里纳和Galería附近Trinchera遗址的已发表数据来重建古生态条件和生存策略。我们的咬合指纹分析结果表明，Sima de los Huesos人群饮食混合，食用肉类和植物性食物的比例相似。这种饮食模式并不符合对严格寒冷环境的预期，例如海洋同位素阶段12，但它表明了花粉、动物和同位素证据支持的多样化景观。
{"title":"Reconstructing dietary preferences in the Middle Pleistocene Sima de los Huesos population: A molar macrowear perspective","authors":"Laura Martín-Francés , María Martinón-Torres , Marina Lozano , María Hernaiz-García , Juan Luis Arsuaga , José María Bermúdez de Castro , Luca Fiorenza","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103797","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103797","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Molar macrowear analysis is a valuable tool for inferring dietary preferences in extinct hominins, ultimately aiding in the reconstruction of subsistence strategies and paleoenvironmental conditions. Radiometric studies suggest that the Middle Pleistocene population from the Atapuerca-Sima de los Huesos site likely lived during Marine Isotope Stage 12, one of the coldest global periods. In this study, we applied the occlusal fingerprint analysis method to maxillary M1s and M2s from this population to assess whether their macrowear patterns reflect these environmental conditions. Given the nature of the hominin accumulation and the limited availability of faunal, lithic, and pollen remains at the site, we rely on published data from the nearby Trinchera sites of Gran Dolina and Galería to reconstruct paleoecological conditions and subsistence strategies. Our occlusal fingerprint analysis results indicate that the Sima de los Huesos population had a mixed diet, consuming similar proportions of meat and plant foods. This dietary pattern does not align with expectations for a strictly cold environment, such as that of Marine Isotope Stage 12, but instead it suggests a diverse landscape, as supported by pollen, faunal, and isotopic evidence.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"211 ","pages":"Article 103797"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145977389","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Context matters: Grăunceanu (Romania) is not an archaeological site","authors":"Lutz Kindler , Sabine Gaudzinski-Windheuser , Fulco Scherjon , Wil Roebroeks","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103786","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103786","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"211 ","pages":"Article 103786"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145738942","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Morphological variation in the manual distal phalanges of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in relation to tool-use behavior","authors":"Riki Tanaka , Tomo Takano , Eishi Hirasaki , Naomichi Ogihara","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103787","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103787","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"210 ","pages":"Article 103787"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145607106","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The locomotor behavior and substrate preferences of early colobines are a matter of debate. Some researchers advocate a partly terrestrial origin with the subsequent parallel evolution of arboreality in different clades during the Plio-Pleistocene, while others suggest that arboreality had already evolved earlier in the Miocene. Microcolobus, from the Late Miocene of Nakali (ca. 10 Ma, Kenya), is one of the earliest known and, for the most part, best-documented African Miocene fossil colobines. A large collection of postcranial remains was recovered at Nakali during the fieldwork of the Joint Japan–Kenya Paleontological Expedition, permitting us to test hypotheses regarding the locomotor behavior, substrate preferences, and taxonomy of the Nakali colobines. Here, we present novel interpretations of the functional adaptations of the elbow anatomy of previously published partial skeletons from Nakali (KNM-NA 47916 and KNM-NA 47915) and the description of 12 additional humeral, ulnar, and radial specimens that we attributed to Microcolobus. The elbow specimens from Nakali are morphologically homogenous except one humeral specimen that demonstrates equivocal evidence of functional and taxonomical diversity. Quantitative and qualitative analyses confirm arboreal adaptations of Microcolobus, corroborating hypotheses supporting early adaptations for arboreal locomotor substrate preferences in colobines. The elbow anatomy of Microcolobus can be qualitatively and quantitatively distinguished from that of the Late Miocene colobines Cercopithecoides bruneti and Paracolobus enkorikae. Microcolobus also present several anatomical features seen in the small African colobine Procolobus verus, reflecting a frequently flexed elbow with moderate pronosupination abilities and a stable humeroulnar joint consistent with the use of flexed-elbow climbing and arboreal quadrupedal running.
{"title":"Elbow anatomy of fossil cercopithecids from Nakali, Kenya: Functional anatomy and taxonomy","authors":"Laurent Pallas , Dionisios Youlatos , Yutaka Kunimatsu , Masato Nakatsukasa","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103785","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103785","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The locomotor behavior and substrate preferences of early colobines are a matter of debate. Some researchers advocate a partly terrestrial origin with the subsequent parallel evolution of arboreality in different clades during the Plio-Pleistocene, while others suggest that arboreality had already evolved earlier in the Miocene. <em>Microcolobus</em>, from the Late Miocene of Nakali (ca. 10 Ma, Kenya), is one of the earliest known and, for the most part, best-documented African Miocene fossil colobines. A large collection of postcranial remains was recovered at Nakali during the fieldwork of the Joint Japan–Kenya Paleontological Expedition, permitting us to test hypotheses regarding the locomotor behavior, substrate preferences, and taxonomy of the Nakali colobines. Here, we present novel interpretations of the functional adaptations of the elbow anatomy of previously published partial skeletons from Nakali (KNM-NA 47916 and KNM-NA 47915) and the description of 12 additional humeral, ulnar, and radial specimens that we attributed to <em>Microcolobus</em>. The elbow specimens from Nakali are morphologically homogenous except one humeral specimen that demonstrates equivocal evidence of functional and taxonomical diversity. Quantitative and qualitative analyses confirm arboreal adaptations of <em>Microcolobus</em>, corroborating hypotheses supporting early adaptations for arboreal locomotor substrate preferences in colobines. The elbow anatomy of <em>Microcolobus</em> can be qualitatively and quantitatively distinguished from that of the Late Miocene colobines <em>Cercopithecoides bruneti</em> and <em>Paracolobus enkorikae</em>. <em>Microcolobus</em> also present several anatomical features seen in the small African colobine <em>Procolobus verus</em>, reflecting a frequently flexed elbow with moderate pronosupination abilities and a stable humeroulnar joint consistent with the use of flexed-elbow climbing and arboreal quadrupedal running.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"210 ","pages":"Article 103785"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145662878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The onset of the Upper Paleolithic period in Eurasia is marked by the systematic production of pointed blades, commonly associated with the Marine Isotope Stage 3 expansion of modern humans. Consequently, many studies have concentrated on the geographical origins and mechanisms of spread of these blade industries across Eurasia, while comparatively less attention has been devoted to regional cultural dynamics and adaptive strategies. This research focuses on the initial stages of the Upper Paleolithic in the Negev Desert, a key region in the Levant that served as a major crossroads between Africa and Eurasia. The study integrates new cultural and environmental data from the Boker sites, originally excavated by Marks and re-excavated in 2015–2016. New radiocarbon (14C) and optically stimulated luminescence chronologies indicate that the Boker sites were occupied over a prolonged period, from approximately 45,000 to 30,000 calibrated years before present (cal BP). The earliest occupations at Boker are attributed to the Initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP), with later phases associated with the Early Upper Paleolithic Ahmarian technocomplex. Lithic assemblages from the Boker sites reveal a consistent use of unidirectional blade technology, suggesting that the desert Ahmarian industry evolved locally from the IUP. However, a notable shift is observed in percussion techniques, transitioning from the use of hard hammerstones in the IUP to soft hammerstones in the Early Upper Paleolithic. This technological change is interpreted as a result of cultural diffusion from the Mediterranean woodland Ahmarian, which predates its southern counterpart. Paleoenvironmental evidence from the Boker sites indicates that conditions were more favorable than those of the present-day Negev, as reflected by the presence of vegetation and water sources. These factors likely contributed to the repeated Upper Paleolithic occupations of this relatively small area. Charred archaeobotanical remains reveal a mix of drought-tolerant halophytic species and relics of Mediterranean thermophilous plants, suggesting a cooler and wetter climate. The discovery of dark, organic-rich layers near the Early Ahmarian occupation at Boker A supports the hypothesis that a salt pan existed in proximity to a freshwater source—an environmental setting that would have been attractive to both humans and animals.
{"title":"Contextualizing the Early Upper Paleolithic in the Negev Desert, southern Levant: Chronologies, lithic technologies, and paleoenvironments of the Boker sites","authors":"Omry Barzilai , Steve Weiner , Yoav Avni , Valentina Caracuta , Lotan Edeltin , Naomi Porat , Elisabetta Boaretto","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103783","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103783","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The onset of the Upper Paleolithic period in Eurasia is marked by the systematic production of pointed blades, commonly associated with the Marine Isotope Stage 3 expansion of modern humans. Consequently, many studies have concentrated on the geographical origins and mechanisms of spread of these blade industries across Eurasia, while comparatively less attention has been devoted to regional cultural dynamics and adaptive strategies. This research focuses on the initial stages of the Upper Paleolithic in the Negev Desert, a key region in the Levant that served as a major crossroads between Africa and Eurasia. The study integrates new cultural and environmental data from the Boker sites, originally excavated by Marks and re-excavated in 2015–2016. New radiocarbon (<sup>14</sup>C) and optically stimulated luminescence chronologies indicate that the Boker sites were occupied over a prolonged period, from approximately 45,000 to 30,000 calibrated years before present (cal BP). The earliest occupations at Boker are attributed to the Initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP), with later phases associated with the Early Upper Paleolithic Ahmarian technocomplex. Lithic assemblages from the Boker sites reveal a consistent use of unidirectional blade technology, suggesting that the desert Ahmarian industry evolved locally from the IUP. However, a notable shift is observed in percussion techniques, transitioning from the use of hard hammerstones in the IUP to soft hammerstones in the Early Upper Paleolithic. This technological change is interpreted as a result of cultural diffusion from the Mediterranean woodland Ahmarian, which predates its southern counterpart. Paleoenvironmental evidence from the Boker sites indicates that conditions were more favorable than those of the present-day Negev, as reflected by the presence of vegetation and water sources. These factors likely contributed to the repeated Upper Paleolithic occupations of this relatively small area. Charred archaeobotanical remains reveal a mix of drought-tolerant halophytic species and relics of Mediterranean thermophilous plants, suggesting a cooler and wetter climate. The discovery of dark, organic-rich layers near the Early Ahmarian occupation at Boker A supports the hypothesis that a salt pan existed in proximity to a freshwater source—an environmental setting that would have been attractive to both humans and animals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"210 ","pages":"Article 103783"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145536939","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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