Jan van der Made

The first hominin of Europe

The earliest hominin occupation of Europe is one of the most debated topics in palaeoanthropology. However, the purportedly oldest of the Early Pleistocene sites in Eurasia lack precise age control and contain stone tools rather than human fossil remains. Here we report the discovery of a human mandible associated with an assemblage of Mode 1 lithic tools and faunal remains bearing traces of hominin processing, in stratigraphic level TE9 at the site of the Sima del Elefante, Atapuerca, Spain. Level TE9 has been dated to the Early Pleistocene (approximately 1.2–1.1 Myr), based on a combination of palaeomagnetism, cosmogenic nuclides and biostratigraphy. The Sima del Elefante site thus emerges as the oldest, most accurately dated record of human occupation in Europe, to our knowledge. The study of the human mandible suggests that the first settlement of Western Europe could be related to an early demographic expansion out of Africa. The new evidence, with previous findings in other Atapuerca sites (level TD6 from Gran Dolina), also suggests that a speciation event occurred in this extreme area of the Eurasian continent during the Early Pleistocene, initiating the hominin lineage represented by the TE9 and TD6 hominins.

The first evidence of cut marks and usewear traces from the Plio-Pleistocene locality of El-Kherba (Ain Hanech), Algeria: implications for early hominin subsistence activities circa 1.8 Ma

The current archaeological data on early hominin subsistence activities in Africa are derived chiefly from Sub-Saharan Plio-Pleistocene sites. The recent studies at El-Kherba (Ain Hanech) in northeastern Algeria expand the geographic range of evidence of hominin subsistence patterns to include the earliest known archaeological sites documented in North Africa. Dated to 1.78 million years ago (Ma), excavations from El-Kherba yielded an Oldowan industry associated with a savanna-like fauna contained in floodplain deposits. The faunal assemblage is dominated by large and medium-sized animals (mainly adults), especially equids, which are represented by at least 11 individuals. The mammalian archaeofauna preserves numerous cut-marked and hammerstone-percussed bones. Made of primarily limestone and flint, the stone assemblage consists of core forms, débitage, and retouched pieces. Evidence of usewear traces is found on several of the flint artifacts, indicating meat processing by early hominins. Overall, our subsistence analysis indicates that early hominins were largely responsible for bone modification at the site, which is also corroborated by other relevant taphonomic evidence. Moreover, at 1.78 Ma, the cutmarked bones recovered from El-Kherba represent the earliest known evidence for ancestral hominin butchery activities and large animal foraging capabilities in northern Africa.

Une faune très diversifiée du Pléistocène inférieur de la Sierra de Quibas (province de Murcia, Espagne)

The Quaternary karstic site of Sierra de Quibas (Abanilla, province of Murcia, Spain) has provided a wide faunal list with more than 60 species. The assemblage of the taxa Arvicola deucalion, Castillomys rivas rivas, Eliomys intermedius, Equus altidens, Capra sp. aff. C. alba and cf. Praeovibos allows the correlation with other Spanish Lower Pleistocene sites in the Betic Cordillera, as Plines 1, Orce 3 and Venta Micena. Therefore Quibas can be located between 1.3 and 1.0 Ma. The palaeoenvironmental features of the area around the karstic cavity and the palaeoclimatic regime are inferred.

Biochronological data inferred from the early Pleistocene Arvicolinae (Mammalia, Rodentia) of the El Chaparral site (Sierra del Chaparral, Cádiz, southwestern Spain)

ABSTRACT In this paper are described the arvicolines from El Chaparral site (Villaluenga del Rosario, Cadiz, Southwestern Spain). Due to their wide geographical distributions and rapid evolutionary rates, arvicolines are especially useful for biostratigraphical purposes. The stratigraphic layers of El Chaparral have yielded arvicolines remains of the genera Allophaiomys, Iberomys, Pliomys, and Terricola. The presence of these rodents together the other vertebrates recovered allows to determinate the age of the El Chaparral site and compare our data with other Iberian Pleistocene sites, such as of the Sierra de Atapuerca. El Chaparral site ranges between the Jaramillo Subchron (1.07–0.99 Ma) and shortly after the Brunhes-Matuyama transition at 0.78 Ma covering a important time span for the knowledge of the earliest humans occupations in western Europe.

The New Material of Large Mammals from Azokh and Comments on the Older Collections

During the 1960s to 1980s a human mandible, together with fossils of other animals and a lithic industry, were recovered from Units I to VI of Azokh Cave. After the year 2002, new excavations in Units I to V were undertaken. The new large mammal fossils are described and the fauna is revised, using part of the older collections. The only clear break in the sequence is the appearance of domestic mammals in Unit I. The following taxa recovered from Pleistocenic sediments were identified: Ursus spelaeus (the most abundant), Ursus sp. (U. aff. arctos/thibetanus), Vulpes vulpes, Canis aureus, Canis lupus, Meles meles, Martes cf. foina, Crocuta crocuta, Felis chaus, Panthera pardus, Equus hydruntinus, Equus ferus, Stephanorhinus hemitoechus, Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis, Sus scrofa, Capreolus pygargus, Dama aff. peleponesiaca, Dama sp., Megaloceros solilhacus, Cervus elaphus, Bison schoetensacki, Ovis ammon, Capra aegagrus and Saiga. Most species present are common in western Eurasia. All fossiliferous Units have taxa that in mid-latitude Europe are considered to be “interglacial” elements, while there are no clear “glacial” elements, which suggests temperate conditions despite the altitude of the cave. The evolutionary levels of various species suggest ages of about 300 ka for Units VI–IV, while Units III–II are slightly younger. Domestic mammals indicate a Holocene age for Unit I. Most sediments represent a normal transition between units. Processes of erosion, however, affected the top of the Pleistocene sediments recorded in the cave. Therefore, Unit I (Holocene sediments containing domestic animals) lies disconformably over Unit II (Late Pleistocene).

A new listriodont suid, Bunolistriodon meidamon sp. nov., from the middle Miocene of Anatolia

ABSTRACT The early middle Miocene (MN 6; ca. 15 Ma) locality of Pasalar in western Anatolia (Turkey) has produced a large and well studied collection of land mammals, including hominoid primates. We confirm the co-occurrence of two species of listriodont suids at this locality, and describe one of them as Bunolistriodon meidamon sp. nov. The other species is referred to Listriodon splendens. B. meidamon is characterised by extreme widening of the central incisors, large size of the male upper canines, labiolingually compressed (“meidamonic”) lower male canines, and narrow cheek teeth. These synapomorphies define a clade comprising at least B. latidens and B. meidamon, which are thus separated from the plesiomorphic species complex of listriodonts lacking lophed molars (Listriodon, Lopholistriodon) or cranial appendages (the “horned” kubanochoeres).

Understanding the emergence of modern humans and the disappearance of Neanderthals: Insights from Kaldar Cave (Khorramabad Valley, Western Iran)

Kaldar Cave is a key archaeological site that provides evidence of the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition in Iran. Excavations at the site in 2014–2015 led to the discovery of cultural remains generally associated with anatomically modern humans (AMHs) and evidence of a probable Neanderthal-made industry in the basal layers. Attempts have been made to establish a chronology for the site. These include four thermoluminescence (TL) dates for Layer 4, ranging from 23,100 ± 3300 to 29,400 ± 2300 BP, and three AMS radiocarbon dates from charcoal samples belonging to the lower part of the same layer, yielding ages of 38,650–36,750 cal BP, 44,200–42,350 cal BP, and 54,400–46,050 cal BP (all at the 95.4% confidence level). Kaldar Cave is the first well-stratified Late Palaeolithic locality to be excavated in the Zagros which is one of the earliest sites with cultural materials attributed to early AMHs in western Asia. It also offers an opportunity to study the technological differences between the Mousterian and the first Upper Palaeolithic lithic technologies as well as the human behaviour in the region. In this study, we present a detailed description of the newly excavated stratigraphy, quantified results from the lithic assemblages, preliminary faunal remains analyses, geochronologic data, taphonomic aspects, and an interpretation of the regional paleoenvironment.

Taxonomic study of the pigs (Suidae, Mammalia) from the late Middle Miocene of Gratkorn (Austria, Styria)

The locality of Gratkorn of early late Sarmatian age (Styria, Austria, Middle Miocene) has yielded an abundant and diverse fauna, including invertebrates, micro-vertebrates and large mammals, as well as plants. As part of the taxonomical study of the mammals, two species of suids, are described here and assigned to Listriodon splendens Von Meyer, 1846 and Parachleuastochoerus steinheimensis (Fraas, 1870). As the generic affinities of the latter species were subject to debate, we present a detailed study of the evolution of the European Tetraconodontinae. The morphometric changes that occurred in a series of fossil samples covering the known temporal ranges of the species Pa. steinheimensis are documented. It is concluded that Parachleuastochoerus includes three species, namely Pa. steinheimensis, Pa. huenermanni and Pa. crusafonti. Evolutionary changes are recognised among the Pa. steinheimensis fossil samples. In addition, it is proposed that the subspecies Pa. steinheimensis olujici was present in Croatia long before the genus dispersed further into Europe.

Aureliachoerus (Suidae, Mammalia) from Agreda and other Miocene localities of Spain

Abstract Fossils of the little pig Aureliachoerus Ginsburg , 1974 from Agreda and other Spanish localities are described. A comparison of material from the type localities shows that A. aurelianensis and A. minus are different species. The small A. minus decreased further in size. The larger A. aurelianensis increased the length and complexity of the last molar. This is the oldest clear example of a masticatory adaptation that became spectacular and of great stratigraphic importance in later Suidae. A. minus ranges MN 3–5 (Neogene Mammal Units) or zones A-E of the Spanish local biozonation and A. aurelianensis ranges MN 3–4 or zones A-D.

Suoidea (Mammalia) fromthe Lower Miocene locality of Buñol, Valencia, Spain

Abstract The Lower Miocene (MN 4, zone C of the Aragonian) locality of Bunol yielded fossils of the followingSuoidea: Taucanamo aff. sansaniense (Palaeochoeridae), Aureliachoerus aurelianensis and Bunolistriodon lockharti (Suidae), as well as some problematic fossils that resemble Propotamochoerus and that are assigned to Suinae? indet. The Taucanamo from Bunol represents one of the oldest records of the genus. The distribution of this genus is particular in that it is abundant in France and it is known from Catalonia and Valencia, but not known from the many localities of the interior of Spain. The association of Taucanamo, Aureliachoerus and Bunolistriodon is common in France in MN 4 and 5 and suggests a similar environment. The Suinae? indet. from Bunol presents possibly the oldest known representative of this subfamily. The oldest certain record of Suinae in Europe is Propotamochoerus palaeochoerus in the latest Aragonian. The oldest record in the Indian Subcontinent is in the lower Chinji Formation, but these Suinae are much smaller than the animal from Bunol. They are also considerably later. These fossils from Bunol appear to be geographically and/or stratigraphically isolated from other records of early Suinae.