The Neandertal extinction in eastern Central Europe (original) (raw)
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The Ancient Human …, 2010
Due to its geographical location and climate, northwestern Europe was at the edge of the hominin range throughout most of the Palaeolithic period. The pattern of the presence and absence of hominins through time, and the implications for their survival skills, have been the focus of considerable research. Here, we take the relatively rich late Middle Palaeolithic record from northern France as a starting point for examining the demographic processes underlying hiatuses in the Palaeolithic record. What did this involve in terms of changes in the distribution and abundance of Neandertal populations, and interactions between populations, during the glacial-interglacial cycles? Definitions in the ecological literature of terms such as 'refugia' and research on the nature of population responses to Pleistocene climatic fluctuations may be helpful in posing this and other questions regarding human evolution. Current understanding of Neandertal ecology and comparative data support the argument that rather than tracking preferred habitats, northern populations of Neandertals suffered local extinctions. The archaeological record and genetic studies of Neandertals and carnivore species potentially provide information relevant to this hypothesis, but interpreting this evidence is challenging. This process of repeated regional extinction would have been an important factor in the demography of hominin populations, and may have been at the root of the development of the Neandertal lineage.
Comptes Rendus Palevol, 2009
In the course of the last 500,000 years, the Neandertal lineage was the first human group to extensively colonize the middle latitudes of western Eurasia up to 55 • N. Although Neandertals were able to adapt to a variety of environments, their ability to cope with extreme glacial environments seems to have been very limited. Depending on the climatic cycles, their presence in the northern environments was essentially discontinuous. The periodical abandonment of some areas is generally interpreted as resulting in a movement of northern populations into southern refuges and a subsequent recolonisation of the northern regions. Here, we argue that the current palaeo-ecological, archaeological and palaeogenetic evidence supports a model of local extinctions rather than a habitat tracking model.
Quaternary Science Reviews, 2015
Defining varying spatial and temporal analytical scales is essential before evaluating the responses of late Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens to Abrupt Environmental Transitions (AETs) and environmental disasters for the period 130e25 ka. Recent advances in addressing the population histories and interactions (using both genetic and archaeological evidence) of Neanderthals and H. sapiens have encouraged consideration of more subtle dynamics of archaeological change. Descriptions of change based on methodologies pioneered some 160 years ago are no longer adequate to explain the patterning we now see in the record. New chronological results, using multiple dating methods, allow us to begin to unpick the spatial and temporal scales of change. Isochronic markers (such as specific volcanic eruptions) can be used to create temporal frameworks (lattices), and results from other dating techniques compared against them. A combination of chronological lattices and direct dating of diagnostic artefacts and human fossils permits us, for the first time, to have greater confidence in connecting human (recent hominin) species and their behavioural responses to environmental conditions, and in quantifying scales of change over time and space (time-transgression). The timing of innovations, particularly those in bone, antler and ivory, can be directly quantified and tested, and used to re-evaluate longstanding models of cultural change. This paper also uses these new chronologies to explore the ecologies of late Neanderthals and early H. sapiens: their population densities, mobilities, resources exploited and possible interactions. Environmental productivity estimates are used to generate new questions of potential population densities and mobilities, and thus the sensitivity of these groups to environmental perturbations. Scales and intensities of effect on environments from natural disasters and AETs (notably Heinrich Events and the Campanian Ignimbrite eruption) are defined as a scale from "proximal" to "distal," with local conditions (topographic shelter or exposure) serving to intensify or mitigate those effects.
Late survival of Neanderthals at the southernmost extreme of Europe
Nature, 2006
The late survival of archaic hominin populations and their long contemporaneity with modern humans is now clear for southeast Asia. In Europe the extinction of the Neanderthals, firmly associated with Mousterian technology, has received much attention, and evidence of their survival after 35 kyr BP has recently been put in doubt. Here we present data, based on a high-resolution record of human occupation from Gorham’s Cave, Gibraltar, that establish the survival of a population of Neanderthals to 28 kyr BP. These Neanderthals survived in the southernmost point of Europe, within a particular physiographic context, and are the last currently recorded anywhere. Our results show that the Neanderthals survived in isolated refuges well after the arrival of modern humans in Europe.
Reevaluating the timing of Neanderthal disappearance in Northwest Europe
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2021
Significance Understanding when Neanderthals disappeared is a hotly debated topic. When radiocarbon dating placed the Spy Neanderthals amongst the latest surviving in Northwest Europe, questions were raised regarding the reliability of the dates. Using a procedure more efficient in removing contamination and ancient genomic analysis, we show that previous dates produced on Neanderthal specimens from Spy are too young by up to 10,000 y. Our direct radiocarbon dates on the Neanderthals from Spy and those from Engis and Fonds-de-Forêt show a reduction of the uncertainty for the time window corresponding to Neanderthal disappearance in Northwest Europe. This population disappeared at 44,200 to 40,600 cal B.P. (at 95.4% probability). This is also earlier than previous suggestions based on dates on bulk collagen.
Middle to Upper Paleolithic biological and cultural shift in Eurasia
In 2009, the EAA meeting was held in Riva del Garda, Italy, and the symposium “Up-dating the reasoning on the Middle to Upper Paleolithic biological and cultural shift in Eurasia”, organized by Laura Longo and Silvana Condemi, focused on issues related to the Neandertal/sapiens biological and cultural shift. This symposium followed three other symposia concerning the results obtained during the last five years by studies of the Middle to Upper Paleolithic boundary in Eurasia. Two symposia were organized in 2006. The first, “Neanderthals and Modern Humans”, organized by G-C. Weniger and J. Orschiedt, took place in Bonn, Germany, in July 2006, during the congress for the celebration of 150th anniversary of the original Neandertal discovery. In this symposium, the state of the question as well as a synthesis of anthropological and archaeological data were presented and published (Condemi and Weniger, 2011). The second, “Setting the Record Straight”, which was coordinated by O. Jöris, D. Adler and W. Davies, took place in September 2006 during the 15th UISPP Congress in Lisbon (Portugal). It focused mainly on chronology and other climatic/environmental issues which affect our interpretations and has also recently been published (Jöris and Adler, 2008). A third symposium, “Middle/Upper Paleolithic transitional time in Eurasia: cultural–historical, anthropological, palaeoecological and adaptation processes of the span 50–30 Kyr BP”, was presented by G. Levkovskaya and colleagues during the 2007 EAA meeting, held in Zadar (Croatia). It centred on palaeoecological aspects and adaptive processes during the “transitional period”. This session approached these problems in relation to the western and eastern parts of Eurasia and illustrated the importance of discussion between archaeologists, palynologists, palaeomagnetists and specialists of different dating methods for the study of the Middle/Upper Paleolithic transition. Beside the three symposia mentioned above, a number of papers, devoted to the last Neandertals and their demise, have been presented at conferences and many articles on this topic have been published in peer-review journals.
Quaternary Science Reviews
Defining varying spatial and temporal analytical scales is essential before evaluating the responses of late Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens to Abrupt Environmental Transitions (AETs) and environmental disasters for the period 130-25 ka. Recent advances in addressing the population histories and interactions (using both genetic and archaeological evidence) of Neanderthals and H. sapiens have encouraged consideration of more subtle dynamics of archaeological change. Descriptions of change based on methodologies pioneered some 160 years ago are no longer adequate to explain the patterning we now see in the record. New chronological results, using multiple dating methods, allow us to begin to unpick the spatial and temporal scales of change. Isochronic markers (such as specific volcanic eruptions) can be used to create temporal frameworks (lattices), and results from other dating techniques compared against them. A combination of chronological lattices and direct dating of diagnostic artefacts and human fossils permits us, for the first time, to have greater confidence in connecting human (recent hominin) species and their behavioural responses to environmental conditions, and in quantifying scales of change over time and space (time-transgression). The timing of innovations, particularly those in bone, antler and ivory, can be directly quantified and tested, and used to re-evaluate longstanding models of cultural change. This paper also uses these new chronologies to explore the ecologies of late Neanderthals and early H. sapiens: their population densities, mobilities, resources exploited and possible interactions. Environmental productivity estimates are used to generate new questions of potential population densities and mobilities, and thus the sensitivity of these groups to environmental perturbations. Scales and intensities of effect on environments from natural disasters and AETs (notably Heinrich Events and the Campanian Ignimbrite eruption) are defined as a scale from “proximal” to “distal,” with local conditions (topographic shelter or exposure) serving to intensify or mitigate those effects.
Morphological Evidence for Modern Human Influences in Late Central European Neandertals
2015
The long-standing debate on the role of Neandertals in the emergence of modern humans in Eurasia has been partially resolved by the genetic indications of relatively small, but not insignificant, Neandertal contributions to modern Eurasian populations. The relatively small contributions of Neandertals to modern humans likely stems from demographic factors limiting Neandertal population sizes. One of the issues not addressed by the genetic data was the impact of early modern human immigrant populations on the late Neandertals inhabiting Eurasia between ~35,000 and 45,000 years ago. East Central Europe, the area of focus for most of Karel Valoch's work, provides evidence of late Neandertals from the sites of Vindija (Croatia) and Šipka and Kůlna (Czech Republic). Analysis of the fragmentary Vindija specimens demonstrates an anatomical pattern reflecting reduction in facial size and prognathism. This pattern is consistent in all individuals but is projected onto a total morphologic...
Quaternary International, 428 Part A, 2017
Located in Eastern Crimea, the multilayered site of Zaskalnaya VI (Kolosovskaya) represents an important key Middle Palaeolithic site of the Crimean peninsula. The uppermost unit of cultural layers of the site (layers IIIa, III, II, and I) pertains to the final stage of the Middle Paleolithic development. The richness and good preservation of various evidence of human activity and remains of material culture allow exploration of many important aspects of the period often referred as " the time of the last Neanderthals ". One important aspect of Zaskalnaya VI is the bone remains of Neanderthals, especially numerous in layers IIIa and III. One of two main focuses of this report is the presentation of anthropological data, with particular emphasis on the detailed odontological characterization of mandibles Zsk VI-72 and Zsk VI-78. The examined odontological complex is characterized by a set of morphological features and variations which are common for the line of Transition Neanderthals. Another focus of the paper is aimed at a wider presentation of data provided by layers IIIa and III, including the history of study, general stratigraphy and some peculiar stratigraphic and spatial features of layers IIIa and III, data on numerical chronology, technical and typological features of stone and bone industry, use-wear analysis data, paleontological and archaeozoological characteristics and other related evidence. Layers IIIa and III represent remains of Neanderthal occupations of different duration and intensity of habitation dated between 35 and 40 uncal ka BP. Similarity of lithic industries suggests both belong to the same industry of Ak-Kaya type, a variation of the local Micoquian.
The Epigravettian chronology and the human population of eastern Central Europe during MIS2
Quaternary Science Reviews, 2021
The goal of this paper is to refine the relative and absolute chronology of Epigravettian culture (26.5e15.0 ka) in eastern Central Europe (ECE) and clarify its relation to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and subsequent climatic changes. Epigravettian sites were sorted into three chronological clusters: initial LGM (ILGM) (26.5e24.0 ka), local LGM (LLGM) (24.0e20.0 ka), and post-LGM (PLGM) (20.0e14.7 ka). We obtained new radiocarbon dates from previously dated and undated sites, then analysed the lithic tool typology and faunal data to seek correlations between age and archaeological features. The lithic typology study did not find differences between ILGM and LLGM sites, but the tool type variance between LLGM and PLGM was significant, applicable for relative chronology. ILGM and LLGM lithic assemblages were characterized by domestic tool dominance and the frequent use of flake tools. PLGM assemblages were correlated with armature dominance and blade/let tools. Among the armatures, backed point variants characterized the PLGM sites compared to the ILGM and LLGM. The sole ILGM lithic armature was the retouched blade/let point. The LLGM also possessed this type and often included backed blade/lets. ILGM faunal data, although few, implied the hunting of mammoth and reindeer. The LLGM data represented recurring hunting of reindeer and horse, and PLGM data indicated the hunting of horse, reindeer, and mammoth. Our results suggested that the territory of Poland was deserted by humans in the LLGM. Moravia and Lower Austria was inhabited until the first half of the LLGM, while the Carpathian Basin was all along the ILGM. The preference for the Carpathian Basin could have been the milder climate, the abundance of fauna, and permanent access to tree vegetation. After the LGM the glacial flora and fauna gradually disappeared, leading to a reduced human presence in southern ECE. Thus, the disappearance of the Epigravettian culture and Pleistocene hunter-gatherer occupations are linked to the amelioration of climate that resulted in the disappearance of the Pleistocene environment.