Periodicum biologorum, Vol. 108 No. 3, 2006.
Original scientific paper
Evolutionary Trends in the Temporal Bone in the Neandertal Lineage: A Comparative Study Between the Sima de los Huesos (Sierra de Atapuerca) and Krapina Samples
IGNACIO MARTÍNEZ
; Departamento de Geología, Universidad de Alcalá, Edificio de Ciencias, Campus Universitario, 28871 Alcalá de Henares Spain; Centro de Investigación (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, c/Sinesio Delgado, 4, c/Sinesio Delgado, 4, 28029 Madri
ROLF QUAM
; Centro de Investigación (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, c/Sinesio Delgado, 4, c/Sinesio Delgado, 4, 28029 Madrid Spain; Department of Anthropology, State University of New York, Binghamton, New York 13902-6000 USA
JUAN-LUIS ARSUAGA
; Centro de Investigación (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, c/Sinesio Delgado, 4, c/Sinesio Delgado, 4, 28029 Madrid Spain; Dpto. Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid Ciudad Universitaria, 28040
Abstract
A comparative study of the temporal bone in the fossil human collections from the Middle and Upper Pleistocene sites of the Sima de los Huesos (Spain) and Krapina (Croatia), respectively, has revealed a pattern to the emergence of several Neandertal features in the glenoid fossa and mastoid process. The results demonstrate that a flattened articular eminence characterizes the Neandertal evolutionary lineage, and this apparently derived feature is present at least since the time of the Atapuerca (SH) hominids. In
contrast, both the size of the postglenoid process and the projection of the mastoid process have clearly undergone a reduction in the Neandertals, including the Krapina sample, from their Middle Pleistocene precursors. The anterior mastoid tubercle is absent in both the Atapuerca (SH) sample and the Krapina hominids, but is ubiquitous in Upper PleistoceneWestern European Neandertals, suggesting a later appearance of this feature. Finally, the narrow width of the mastoid process in the Krapina sample appears to be
a feature which is particular to this sample.
Keywords
Krapina; Atapuerca; Sima de los Huesos; temporal bone; Neandertal
Hrčak ID:
83147
URI
Publication date:
31.10.2006.
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