Child of Lagar Velho

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The child of Lagar Velho is an approx. 24,500 year old skeleton that was recovered in 1998 in the Lapedo Gorge in Portugal , approx. 135 km north of Lisbon . The individual dated using the 14 C method was four to five years old at the time of death. Both anatomical features of modern humans ( Homo sapiens ) and Neanderthals have been attributed to him. Whether it was actually a hybrid ("mixed breed") was controversial from the start and was later questioned by numerous re-dating of Neanderthals, according to which the Neanderthals were extinct in Europe no later than 39,000 years ago ( Cal BP ). The mixing hypothesis was mainly represented by the American anthropologist Erik Trinkaus and the Portuguese archaeologist João Zilhão .

Discovery and excavation

The skeleton (archive name: Lagar Velho 1) was discovered on November 28, 1998 by the two Spanish archaeologists João Maurício and Pedro Souto, who examined some prehistoric rock paintings in the vicinity of the site (location: 39 ° 45 '25 "N, 8 ° 43 '58 "W). They noticed an abri , which they suspect could have served as a storage place in the Paleolithic . On closer inspection, stone artefacts were immediately found as well as long bones in an animal tunnel, which João Zilhão recognized a little later as juvenile human arm bones. Zilhão also found that the bones were colored with red ocher , which led to the assumption that the find was a child burial from the Gravettia .

It was not clear whether other skeletal material would be found in addition to the arm bones that had been found, since the landowner had cleared a large part of the earth in 1992 in order to be able to park equipment under the rock overhang to protect it from water.

The excavations began in mid-December 1998, as the research team was concerned that onlookers could destroy the site or parts of it. In addition, the winter weather conditions were detrimental to the preservation of exposed bones. The researchers quickly found fragments of a skull , as well as the almost complete left half of a lower jaw and the prominent chin region , which led the excavators to believe that it must be a child of modern Homo sapiens . In further work steps, the shoulder region , chest ( block recovery ), pelvis and legs including the feet were exposed. The right arm was only very poorly preserved (it was furthest away from the rock face), as was the skull, which at least to a large extent had been in a layer that was affected by the erosion of the earth. The recovery of the bones was completed on January 7, 1999.

The hybrid hypothesis

During the detailed examination of the found bones, Erik Trinkaus noticed a special feature: the ratio of the length of the thighbone (right) to the shinbone (left) was smaller than that of other early representatives of the European Homo sapiens known up to then - adolescents and adults . It was more like that of the " La Ferrassie 6 Neanderthal Child". Trinkaus had his measurements checked; they were free of errors. A first indication of a “Neanderthal descent” was derived from this. Trinkaus interpreted a find from Peştera cu oasis as a further indication . The reactions to the publication of the studies were largely dismissive in the scientific field.

Funeral and offerings

The child's skeleton was found stretched out on its back over the charred remains of a Scots pine branch burned before the burial . The skull lay in the east on the left side, the legs were slightly bent, the right hand was right next to the hip. In the area of ​​the neck a periwinkle ( Littorina obtusata ) in the form of a pendant was found in situ , which can probably be assigned to the burial, as well as another snail in a somewhat higher, disturbed layer of soil. Four red deer canines were draped on the forehead as "headdresses", probably arranged symmetrically according to their size (the smaller canine teeth on the sides, the larger ones in the middle). A young rabbit had been placed on top of the corpse, which was wrapped in a shroud or something similar (this dyed with red ocher ); in the area of ​​the lower leg, the later 14 C-dated ribs and vertebrae were found in situ, further skeletal fragments of the animal were scattered in the grave pit.

In addition, two pelvic bones from two different male red deer were found, a right hip bone in the area of ​​the shoulder (right side) of the child and a left one near the feet. Exactly why the two bones were added to the burial is unknown; possible explanations are that it was construction material for the grave or food.

The periwinkles and red deer canines found were carefully examined. With these investigations and comparisons, the researchers wanted to uncover possible parallels between Middle Paleolithic burials and that of the "Lapedo child", even if the presence of intentional grave goods in the former is questionable. If one assumes such additions, however, then in the Middle Paleolithic, both Neanderthals and Homo sapiens burials were mostly stone artifacts and objects of animal origin; New in the Upper Paleolithic were personal items, bone tools and the use of ocher.

The scientists came to the following conclusion: The personal objects and the coloring with ocher are indications that the child of Lagar Velho belonged more to the cultural system of the Upper Paleolithic than that of the Moustérien . Few animal remains found with the child (red deer, rabbit, horse) suggest a date back to the Middle Paleolithic, but such additions are also described in around 25 percent of earlier Upper Paleolithic graves.

In addition, after examining grave goods from all over Europe, the authors come to the conclusion that the child's roots lay in southern European Gravettia (occurrence of red deer teeth, the type of snail, color of the snails, probable arrangement of the canine teeth).

The skeleton

Skull bones

The skull is not completely preserved. He was also deformed after death. However, the right half of the skull does not seem to be particularly affected; the authors point out that the measured values ​​should be considered important and “correct”. The child's skull shape is described as clearly similar to that of early and modern humans; it is very different from Neanderthal skulls. In the relatively thick parietal bones, however, Trinkaus et al. a tendency towards Neanderthals.

An important feature that is only present in Neanderthals is the so-called “suprainiac fossa”, a small depression in a certain area of ​​the occiput . The researchers have also discovered such a deepening in the “Lapedo child”, but it is not identical in shape and form to that of young Neanderthals. Due to the lack of this feature in Homo sapiens , the feature is regarded as a clear Neanderthal feature. The mastoid process is a characteristic that can be found in this form in both Neanderthals and Homo sapiens , although it tends a little towards Homo sapiens . Since the right temporal bone is almost completely preserved, the ear canal could be examined. The test showed a tendency towards Homo sapiens , but the results could not be described as unambiguous.

Examination of fragments of the midface revealed that only Homo sapiens features are present in this area ; however, there are very few fragments of the maxilla and nasal bone . The lower jaw is one of the most complete juvenile specimens found to date from the early Upper Palaeolithic in Europe. The chin region is relatively prominent, which only occurs in Homo sapiens .

teeth

At the beginning of 2010 an article appeared about the 46 preserved teeth, both deciduous and permanent (missing an upper and a lower premolar ) of Lagar Velho's child, which had been subjected to a microtomographic examination. The results were then compared with the teeth of a Neanderthal man (Roc-de-Marsal 1; 2.5 to 3 years old), the child from La Madeleine (Magdalenian; 3 to 4 years old) and a child living today. Some of the structures discovered are, according to Trinkaus et al. usually only found in Neanderthals. However, the authors point out the complexity of teeth and that these have also changed in the course of the evolution of Homo sapiens .

When evaluating the results, it was noticed that the development of the incisors was rather delayed compared to the large molars , but that the latter were more developed (in relation to today's modern humans). The pulp cavities of the incisors were larger, but the tooth enamel was thinner than in recent humans.

Trinkaus et al. come to the following conclusion: Some of the features on the teeth could not be detected in recent humans and more recent Upper Paleolithic Homo sapiens , but Neanderthals do have them. There are fewer expressions that only Homo sapiens have.

Following the conclusion, however, the researchers point out that more precise statements can only be made if more teeth of young individuals from the last 100,000 to 200,000 years have been examined.

Trunk and extremity skeleton

The skeleton below the skull (the postcranial skeleton ) is more than 90 percent more complete than that of all other juvenile individuals from the Upper Paleolithic. The bones found suggest sturdy legs , in the usual framework for juvenile individuals of the Young Pleistocene. The already mentioned ratio of thigh bone to shin length (relatively short shin, similar to the Neanderthal), which prompted Trinkaus to the hybrid hypothesis, is highlighted as a central finding in connection with the examinations of the legs.

After comparisons with various other individuals, including measurements on living people, Trinkaus et al. Lagar Velho's child as small for his age compared to anatomically modern children. However, the authors practically rule out malnutrition and direct climatic influences as the cause - the latter according to studies on Upper Paleolithic adults from colder areas who have relatively long lower extremities. (Note: in colder regions the body surface is minimized in order to keep heat loss low, in warmer regions the body surface is maximized in order to protect against overheating [according to Schreider 1964]). The rather narrow physique suggests a genetic connection to the Upper Palaeolithic Homo sapiens . However, and this is what Trinkaus et al. separately, one could not reconstruct the exact body structure with the help of the bones, but one could very well get closer.

Pathologies

The so-called Harris lines , structures within the bones that indicate growth disorders, are particularly important here . These can be found in several long bones, including those of the leg. Trinkaus et al. interpret this as a sign of growth stoppages in childhood, causes of increased "stress" shortly before death, recovery and then renewed "stress", which is ultimately to be associated with the death of the child.

Due to the few, not very pronounced pathologies, the examiners come to the conclusion that the individual was generally healthy.

Criticism of the hybrid hypothesis

The interpretation of the child's skeletal features by Lagar Velho by Trinkaus et al. is controversial and is rejected by many of her specialist colleagues. The English-born anthropologist Ian Tattersall and his American colleague Jeffrey H. Schwartz criticized the hybrid hypothesis - especially with reference to lower jaw characteristics - in the same issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that also contained the first scientific Description of the find appeared; Furthermore, reference was made to a recently published study, according to which conclusions from the comparison were still unreliable for bone proportions for the late Pleistocene. In this commentary, the assumption by Trinkaus et al. criticizes that the child of Lagar Velho is not just the "product" of a single Neanderthal / Homo sapiens liaison, but the "result" of a cross between Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans over several thousand years. It would follow from this that Homo sapiens and Neanderthals belong to the same species, the latter being “just” a “strange” form of anatomically modern humans. This comment prompted Zilhão and Trinkaus to send an email to several dozen colleagues in which they insulted their critics as “ignorant” and “arrogant”, which the journal Science shortly thereafter called “Neanderthal war” (“Neanderthal war”) was commented on. Those attacked in this way reacted in astonishment: their “crime” was ultimately nothing more than a “polite difference of opinion”. In retrospect, Tattersall wrote in 2015 that the representatives of the hybrid hypothesis had acted with “quasi-religious zeal” at the time and gave him the feeling that “they were being persecuted as a heretic by the Inquisition ”.

For Tattersall and Schwartz, the site on the Iberian Peninsula is quite suitable for finding a Neanderthal skeleton, as the most recent Neanderthal finds come from there (Zafarraya, 27kyr). The really big problem is that of Trinkaus et al. established hypothesis of crossing over thousands of years. Even if one assumes that the last Neanderthal appeared on the Iberian Peninsula around 27,000 years ago, the age of the "Lapedo child" would be around 2000 to 3000 years, which is at least 200 generations. The representation by Trinkaus et al. That the child is 50:50 Neanderthals / Homo sapiens does not therefore fit the 200 generations according to Tattersall and Schwartz.

Tattersall and Schwartz also looked at the "Neanderthal features" on the bones. The description of the mastoid process, which is between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens in terms of size , is contradicted by Tattersall and Schwartz, since this bone area in anatomically modern humans does not begin to grow significantly until the age of about four, the growth process in the child of Lagar Velho so it has only just begun.

The results of the examinations of the teeth, especially to weight the size of the teeth so heavily and to see here evidence of Neanderthal ancestors, are strongly doubted by Tattersall and Schwartz. The scientists cite some absolutely typical “Neanderthal characteristics”, especially with regard to the shape of the crown, which the “Lapedo child” does not even have in part.

The conclusion of the two Americans is that there are no signs on the skull that would suggest Neanderthal descent. The authors of the critical commentary also comment on the body proportions of the child, saying that indices of this kind for determining species in the Young Pleistocene were not certain.

In their final résumé, Tattersall and Schwartz criticize the hybrid hypothesis of Zilhão et al. as a "brave and imaginative interpretation" ("brave and imaginative interpretation"). They refer to the find as a "chunky Gravettian child" and point out that in connection with the hybrid hypothesis u. Ä. Much research is still needed.

The Israeli Neanderthal expert Yoel Rak later came to a similar assessment, pointing out that the characteristics of a real hybrid would be more mixed; also Katerina Harvati , who, during a stay at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, compared the bones of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens with the help of three-dimensional imaging methods and derived hypotheses about the shape of hybrids.

literature

  • J. Zilhão, E. Trinkaus (Ed.): Portrait of the Artist as a Child. The Gravettian Human Skeleton from the Abrigo do Lagar Velho and its Archaeological Context . Trabalhos de Arqueologia 22, 2002, Lisboa, Instituto Português de Arqueologia.
  • J. Zilhão: The Lagar Velho child and the fate of the Neanderthals . Athena Review, 2 (4), 2001, pp. 33-39.
  • C. Duarte, J. Maurício, PB Pettitt, P. Souto, E. Trinkaus, H. Van Der Plicht, J. Zilhão: The Early Upper Palaeolithic Human Skeleton from the Abrigo do Lagar Velho (Portugal) and Modern Human Emergence in Iberia . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 96, 1999, pp. 7604-7609.
  • F. Almeida, P. Bártolo, N. Alves, H. Almeida, M. Ponce de Léon, C. Zollikofer, B. Pierson, P. Serra, C. Duarte, E. Trinkaus, J. Zilhão: The Lapedo Child Reborn : Contributions of CT Scanning and Rapid Prototyping for an Upper Paleolithic Infant Burial and Face Reconstruction. The Case of Lagar Velho Interpretation Center, Leiria, Portugal . In: D. Arnold, F. Niccolucci, A. Chalmers (Eds.): The 8th International Symposium on Virtual reality , Archeology and Cultural Heritage VAST (2007). Short and Project Papers from VAST 2007, pp. 69-73.
  • Priscilla Bayle, Roberto Macchiarelli, Erik Trinkaus, Cidália Duarte, Arnaud Mazurier, João Zilhão: Dental maturational sequence and dental tissue proportions in the early Upper Paleolithic child from Abrigo do Lagar Velho, Portugal . 2009.
  • University of Bristol: 30,000-Year-Old Child's Teeth Shed New Light on Human Evolution . 2010. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
  • Ian Tattersall, Jeffrey H. Schwartz: Hominids and hybrids: The place of Neanderthals in human evolution . 1999.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Cidália Duarte et al .: The early Upper Paleolithic human skeleton from the Abrigo do Lagar Velho (Portugal) and modern human emergence in Iberia. In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , Volume 96, No. 13, 1999, pp. 7604-7609, doi : 10.1073 / pnas.96.13.7604 , full text
  2. ^ Tom Higham et al .: The timing and spatiotemporal patterning of Neanderthal disappearance. In: Nature . Volume 52, No. 7514, 2014, pp. 306–309, doi: 10.1038 / nature13621
    Neanderthals died out 39,000 years ago at the latest. On: idw-online from August 20, 2014.
  3. ↑ João Zilhão , Erik Trinkaus (Ed.): Portrait of the Artist as a Child. The Gravettian Human Skeleton from the Abrigo do Lagar Velho and its Archaeological Context. In: Trabalhos de Arqueologia. Volume 22, Instituto Português de Arqueologia, Lisboa 2002, p. 29, ISBN 972-8662-07-6
  4. ^ Zilhão, Trinkaus 2002; 13.
  5. ^ Zilhão, Trinkaus 2002; 14th
  6. ^ Zilhão, Trinkaus 2002; 15th
  7. ^ Zilhão, Trinkaus 2002; 15, 16, 18.
  8. ^ Zilhão, Trinkaus 2002; 21f.
  9. ^ Zilhão, Trinkaus 2002; 23, 25.
  10. ^ Zilhão, Trinkaus 2002; 38.
  11. ↑ a b Zilhão, Trinkaus 2002; 177.
  12. ^ Zilhão, Trinkaus 2002; 257.
  13. ^ Zilhão, Trinkaus 2002; 258.
  14. ^ Zilhão, Trinkaus 2002; 268.
  15. ^ Zilhão, Trinkaus 2002; 271f.
  16. ^ Zilhão, Trinkaus 2002; 280f.
  17. ^ Zilhão, Trinkaus 2002; 317f., 324f.
  18. ↑ Priscilla Bayle et al .: Dental maturational sequence and dental tissue proportions in the early Upper Paleolithic child from Abrigo do Lagar Velho, Portugal. In: PNAS , Volume 107, No. 4, 2010, pp. 1338–1342, doi : 10.1073 / pnas.0914202107 , full text (PDF; 291 kB)
  19. ^ Zilhão, Trinkaus 2002; 465
  20. ^ Zilhão, Trinkaus 2002; 390f.
  21. ^ Zilhão, Trinkaus 2002; 495.
  22. ↑ Ian Tattersall , Jeffrey H. Schwartz : Hominids and hybrids: The place of Neanderthals in human evolution. In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , Volume 96, No. 13, 1999, pp. 7117-7119, doi : 10.1073 / pnas.96.13.7117 , full text (PDF)
  23. ↑ Trenton W. Holliday: Brachial and crural indices of European Late Upper Paleolithic and Mesolithic humans. In: Journal of Human Evolution , Volume 36, No. 5, 1999, pp. 549-566, doi : 10.1006 / jhev.1998.0289
  24. ↑ Patrimony Debate Gets Ugly. in: Science , Volume 285, No. 5425, 1999, p. 195, doi : 10.1126 / science.285.5425.195a
  25. ↑ literally: "Our crime was nothing more than polite disagreement". In: Science , Volume 285, No. 5432, 1999, p. 1355, doi : 10.1126 / science.285.5432.1355f
  26. ^ Ian Tattersall: The Strange Case of the Rickety Cossack - and Other Cautionary Tales from Human Evolution. Palgrave Macmillan, New York 2015, p. 185, ISBN 978-1-137-27889-0
  27. ↑ Yoel Rak was quoted literally as follows: "If you look at a mule, you don't have the front end looking like a donkey and the back end looking like a horse." In: Michael Balter: What - or Who - Did In the Neanderthals? In: Science , Volume 293, No. 5537, 2001, pp. 1980-1981, doi : 10.1126 / science.293.5537.1980
  28. ↑ Katerina Harvati : 3-D geometric morphometric analysis of temporal bone landmarks in Neanderthals and modern humans. In: Ashraf MT Elewa (Ed.): Morphometrics. Applications in Biology and Paleontology. Springer-Verlag, 2001. pp. 245-258