Pub 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":"2026-01-16","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}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103788
Pierre-Jean Dodat , Danaé Guiserix , Klervia Jaouen , Lourdes Montes , Pilar Utrilla , Vanessa Villalba-Mouco , Bruno Maureille , Vincent Balter
{"title":"Corrigendum to “Enhancing the reconstruction of the Gabasa Neandertal's diet using Ca and Sr stable isotopes” [J. Hum. Evol. 207 (2025) 103747]","authors":"Pierre-Jean Dodat , Danaé Guiserix , Klervia Jaouen , Lourdes Montes , Pilar Utrilla , Vanessa Villalba-Mouco , Bruno Maureille , Vincent Balter","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103788","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103788","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"210 ","pages":"Article 103788"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145709907","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 : 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":"2025-12-15","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}
{"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":"2025-12-13","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}
Pub Date : 2025-12-05DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103782
Emilie Berlioz , Monica Fernández-García , Marie-Cecile Soulier , Lucia Agudo-Pérez , Gabriela Amorós , Christian Normand , Ana B. Marín-Arroyo
{"title":"Synanthropy of the Isturitz foxes during the Aurignacian is not proven: a reply to Hussain and Baumann (2025)","authors":"Emilie Berlioz , Monica Fernández-García , Marie-Cecile Soulier , Lucia Agudo-Pérez , Gabriela Amorós , Christian Normand , Ana B. Marín-Arroyo","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103782","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103782","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"210 ","pages":"Article 103782"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145694211","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":"2025-12-01","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}
{"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":"2025-11-24","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}
Exploring the paleoecology of extinct species of the genus Theropithecus, which was widespread and diversified in Africa during the Pliocene and the Pleistocene, is crucial to have a full picture of the evolutionary history of this taxon. It also gives insights into the fundamental ecological range of the genus, now restricted to the Ethiopian highlands in a reduced set of habitats. This study aims to investigate the diet of Theropithecus atlanticus (n = 8) from the Plio-Pleistocene site of Ahl al Oughlam (Morocco) through dental microwear texture analysis. We used a recently developed software program, ‘trident,’ that quantifies the heterogeneity of texture parameters through subsampled wear surfaces to improve dietary discriminations. We considered a comparative dataset of extant primates (n = 104) with different diets, including the leaf-eater Colobus guereza, the grass-eater Theropithecus gelada, and the generalists Papio hamadryas and Chlorocebus aethiops. In addition, we compared with specimens of theropiths (n = 80) from the eastern African Shungura Formation (Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia) that are nearly contemporaneous to T. atlanticus. Our results indicate that T. atlanticus was mostly feeding on grasses, as do its extant relatives. Some similarities with opportunistic species suggest it might have consumed a substantial amount of challenging foods. This dental microwear texture is in line with open, arid, and harsh environments and the presence and abundance of C3 grasses at Ahl al Oughlam detected by enamel stable isotope analysis on various mammals including theropiths. This contrasts with the environment described on nearly contemporaneous specimens from the Lower Omo Valley where grasses were abundant but composed of C4 ones.
在上新世和更新世期间，蜥古猿属在非洲广泛分布并多样化，探索其灭绝物种的古生态学对于全面了解该分类群的进化史至关重要。它还提供了对该属的基本生态范围的见解，现在仅限于埃塞俄比亚高地的栖息地减少。本研究旨在通过牙齿微磨损纹理分析研究来自摩洛哥Ahl al Oughlam上新世-更新世遗址的大西洋龙猿（n = 8）的饮食。我们使用了一个最近开发的软件程序，“三叉戟”，量化纹理参数的异质性通过抽样磨损表面，以提高饮食的区别。我们考虑了一个现有灵长类动物（n = 104）的比较数据集，这些灵长类动物有不同的饮食，包括食叶的疣猴，食草的狮尾羚，以及一般的Papio hamadryas和Chlorocebus aethiops。此外，我们还比较了来自东非Shungura组（Lower Omo Valley，埃塞俄比亚）与T. atlanticus几乎同时期的兽齿兽标本（n = 80）。我们的研究结果表明，与它现存的近亲一样，大西洋T.主要以草为食。与机会主义物种的一些相似之处表明，它可能消耗了大量具有挑战性的食物。通过对包括兽齿类在内的多种哺乳动物的牙釉质稳定同位素分析发现，这种牙齿微磨损纹理与开阔、干旱和恶劣的环境以及Ahl al Oughlam地区C3草的存在和丰度一致。这与来自下奥莫山谷的几乎同时期标本所描述的环境形成对比，那里的草很丰富，但由C4草组成。
{"title":"A close-up at the paleoecology of the most western gelada relatives: Insights from dental microwear texture analysis","authors":"Margot Louail , Denis Geraads , Camille Daujeard , Rosalia Gallotti , David Lefèvre , Abderrahim Mohib , Jean-Paul Raynal , Gildas Merceron","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103784","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103784","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Exploring the paleoecology of extinct species of the genus <em>Theropithecus</em>, which was widespread and diversified in Africa during the Pliocene and the Pleistocene, is crucial to have a full picture of the evolutionary history of this taxon. It also gives insights into the fundamental ecological range of the genus, now restricted to the Ethiopian highlands in a reduced set of habitats. This study aims to investigate the diet of <em>Theropithecus atlanticus</em> (<em>n</em> = 8) from the Plio-Pleistocene site of Ahl al Oughlam (Morocco) through dental microwear texture analysis. We used a recently developed software program, ‘trident,’ that quantifies the heterogeneity of texture parameters through subsampled wear surfaces to improve dietary discriminations. We considered a comparative dataset of extant primates (<em>n</em> = 104) with different diets, including the leaf-eater <em>Colobus guereza</em>, the grass-eater <em>Theropithecus gelada</em>, and the generalists <em>Papio hamadryas</em> and <em>Chlorocebus aethiops</em>. In addition, we compared with specimens of theropiths (<em>n</em> = 80) from the eastern African Shungura Formation (Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia) that are nearly contemporaneous to <em>T. atlanticus</em>. Our results indicate that <em>T. atlanticus</em> was mostly feeding on grasses, as do its extant relatives. Some similarities with opportunistic species suggest it might have consumed a substantial amount of challenging foods. This dental microwear texture is in line with open, arid, and harsh environments and the presence and abundance of C3 grasses at Ahl al Oughlam detected by enamel stable isotope analysis on various mammals including theropiths. This contrasts with the environment described on nearly contemporaneous specimens from the Lower Omo Valley where grasses were abundant but composed of C4 ones.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"210 ","pages":"Article 103784"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145574926","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":"2025-11-18","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}
Pub Date : 2025-11-07DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103773
Martin Hora , Robi Dattatreya , Michal Struška , Herman Pontzer , Vladimír Sládek
Chasing prey to exhaustion on foot—persistence hunting—has been hypothesized to play a key role in the evolution of human endurance, energetics, and thermoregulation. However, direct physiological data from such pursuits are lacking, particularly from open arid environments where persistence hunting may have originated. We report the first physiological measurements from an unacclimatized ultrarunner and hunter, accompanied by three acclimatized hunters, during six persistence pursuits of Oryx gazella in the Namib desert. The pursuits spanned 49.5 km on foot in 7.8 hours over 3 days. Two pursuits were successful: A healthy oryx was caught after 2 hours (31% of time running), and an injured oryx after 1 hour of walking only. Over the 3 days, persistence hunting yielded 1882–3727 kcal per man-hour, surpassing net return rates reported for hunter-gatherers and horticulturalists and net energy equivalent to the daily needs of 50 active individuals. Daily energy expenditure (5024 kcal day−1) and water turnover (11.4 l day−1) were high but within ranges reported for subsistence populations in hot climates. Water loss remained below the critical dehydration threshold. Despite high air (36–41 °C) and ground (43–60 °C) temperatures, the hunter maintained a safe core temperature (≤39 °C), while the oryx reached hyperthermic levels (44 °C). These findings suggest that persistence hunting in arid environments is energetically viable and thermally manageable, even for unacclimatized individuals. The relatively low proportion of running—and its complete absence when pursuing disadvantaged prey—supports the potential feasibility of persistence hunting even among hominins without advanced endurance running adaptations.
在人类的耐力、能量学和体温调节的进化过程中，用脚追逐猎物直到筋疲力尽——坚持不懈的狩猎——被认为发挥了关键作用。然而，这种追求的直接生理数据是缺乏的，特别是在持续狩猎可能起源的开阔干旱环境中。我们报告了一个未适应环境的超跑者和猎人的第一次生理测量，伴随着三个适应环境的猎人，在纳米比亚沙漠中对羚羊的六次持续追求。在3天的时间里，他们花了7.8个小时步行49.5公里。两次追捕都成功了：一只健康的大羚羊在2小时（31%的时间奔跑）后被捕获，一只受伤的大羚羊在1小时的步行后被捕获。在3天的时间里，坚持不懈的狩猎产生了每小时1882-3727千卡的热量，超过了狩猎采集者和园艺师的净回报率，相当于50个活跃个体每天所需的净能量。每日能量消耗（5024 kcal day - 1）和水分周转量（11.4 kcal day - 1）很高，但在炎热气候下的自给人口的范围内。失水保持在临界脱水阈值以下。尽管空气（36-41°C）和地面（43-60°C）温度很高，但猎人保持了安全的核心温度（≤39°C），而大羚羊达到了高温水平（44°C）。这些发现表明，即使对不适应环境的个体来说，在干旱环境中持续狩猎在能量上是可行的，在热量上也是可控的。奔跑的比例相对较低，而且在追捕处于不利地位的猎物时完全没有奔跑，这支持了即使在没有先进的耐力奔跑适应能力的原始人中，坚持狩猎的潜在可行性。
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