A human mandible (BH-1) from the Pleistocene deposits of Mala Balanica cave (Sicevo Gorge, Nis, Serbia)
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Roksandić, MirjanaMihailović, Dušan
Mercier, Norbert
Dimitrijević, Vesna
Morley, Mike W.
Rakočević, Zoran
Mihailović, Bojana
Guibert, Pierre
Babb, Jeff
Article (Published version)
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Neandertals and their immediate predecessors are commonly considered to be the only humans inhabiting Europe in the Middle and early Late Pleistocene. Most Middle Pleistocene western European specimens show evidence of a developing Neandertal morphology, supporting the notion that these traits evolved at the extreme West of the continent due, at least partially, to the isolation produced by glacial events. The recent discovery of a mandible, BH-1, from Mala Balanica (Serbia), with primitive character states comparable with Early Pleistocene mandibular specimens, is associated with a minimum radiometric date of 113 + 72 - 43 ka. Given the fragmented nature of the hemi-mandible and the fact that primitive character states preclude assignment to a species, the taxonomic status of the specimen is best described as an archaic Homo sp. The combination of primitive traits and a possible Late Pleistocene date suggests that a more primitive morphology, one that does not show Neandertal traits, ...could have persisted in the region. Different hominin morphologies could have survived and coexisted in the Balkans, the "hotspot of biodiversity." This first hominin specimen to come from a secure stratigraphic context in the Central Balkans indicates a potentially important role for the region in understanding human evolution in Europe that will only be resolved with more concentrated research efforts in the area.
Keywords:
Neandertal / European hominin dispersals / Central Balkans / Archaic Homo sapiensSource:
Journal of Human Evolution, 2011, 61, 2, 186-196Publisher:
- Academic Press Ltd- Elsevier Science Ltd, London
Funding / projects:
- offices of the VP Academic and VP Research at the University of Winnipeg
- NSERC Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) [371077-2010]
- Ministry of Culture
- Cultural changes and population movements in the early Prehistory of the central Balkans (RS-MESTD-Basic Research (BR or ON)-177023)
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.03.003
ISSN: 0047-2484
PubMed: 21507461
WoS: 000292435700005
Scopus: 2-s2.0-79957990296
Institution/Community
Arheologija / ArchaeologyTY - JOUR AU - Roksandić, Mirjana AU - Mihailović, Dušan AU - Mercier, Norbert AU - Dimitrijević, Vesna AU - Morley, Mike W. AU - Rakočević, Zoran AU - Mihailović, Bojana AU - Guibert, Pierre AU - Babb, Jeff PY - 2011 UR - http://reff.f.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/1218 AB - Neandertals and their immediate predecessors are commonly considered to be the only humans inhabiting Europe in the Middle and early Late Pleistocene. Most Middle Pleistocene western European specimens show evidence of a developing Neandertal morphology, supporting the notion that these traits evolved at the extreme West of the continent due, at least partially, to the isolation produced by glacial events. The recent discovery of a mandible, BH-1, from Mala Balanica (Serbia), with primitive character states comparable with Early Pleistocene mandibular specimens, is associated with a minimum radiometric date of 113 + 72 - 43 ka. Given the fragmented nature of the hemi-mandible and the fact that primitive character states preclude assignment to a species, the taxonomic status of the specimen is best described as an archaic Homo sp. The combination of primitive traits and a possible Late Pleistocene date suggests that a more primitive morphology, one that does not show Neandertal traits, could have persisted in the region. Different hominin morphologies could have survived and coexisted in the Balkans, the "hotspot of biodiversity." This first hominin specimen to come from a secure stratigraphic context in the Central Balkans indicates a potentially important role for the region in understanding human evolution in Europe that will only be resolved with more concentrated research efforts in the area. PB - Academic Press Ltd- Elsevier Science Ltd, London T2 - Journal of Human Evolution T1 - A human mandible (BH-1) from the Pleistocene deposits of Mala Balanica cave (Sicevo Gorge, Nis, Serbia) EP - 196 IS - 2 SP - 186 VL - 61 DO - 10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.03.003 ER -
@article{ author = "Roksandić, Mirjana and Mihailović, Dušan and Mercier, Norbert and Dimitrijević, Vesna and Morley, Mike W. and Rakočević, Zoran and Mihailović, Bojana and Guibert, Pierre and Babb, Jeff", year = "2011", abstract = "Neandertals and their immediate predecessors are commonly considered to be the only humans inhabiting Europe in the Middle and early Late Pleistocene. Most Middle Pleistocene western European specimens show evidence of a developing Neandertal morphology, supporting the notion that these traits evolved at the extreme West of the continent due, at least partially, to the isolation produced by glacial events. The recent discovery of a mandible, BH-1, from Mala Balanica (Serbia), with primitive character states comparable with Early Pleistocene mandibular specimens, is associated with a minimum radiometric date of 113 + 72 - 43 ka. Given the fragmented nature of the hemi-mandible and the fact that primitive character states preclude assignment to a species, the taxonomic status of the specimen is best described as an archaic Homo sp. The combination of primitive traits and a possible Late Pleistocene date suggests that a more primitive morphology, one that does not show Neandertal traits, could have persisted in the region. Different hominin morphologies could have survived and coexisted in the Balkans, the "hotspot of biodiversity." This first hominin specimen to come from a secure stratigraphic context in the Central Balkans indicates a potentially important role for the region in understanding human evolution in Europe that will only be resolved with more concentrated research efforts in the area.", publisher = "Academic Press Ltd- Elsevier Science Ltd, London", journal = "Journal of Human Evolution", title = "A human mandible (BH-1) from the Pleistocene deposits of Mala Balanica cave (Sicevo Gorge, Nis, Serbia)", pages = "196-186", number = "2", volume = "61", doi = "10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.03.003" }
Roksandić, M., Mihailović, D., Mercier, N., Dimitrijević, V., Morley, M. W., Rakočević, Z., Mihailović, B., Guibert, P.,& Babb, J.. (2011). A human mandible (BH-1) from the Pleistocene deposits of Mala Balanica cave (Sicevo Gorge, Nis, Serbia). in Journal of Human Evolution Academic Press Ltd- Elsevier Science Ltd, London., 61(2), 186-196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.03.003
Roksandić M, Mihailović D, Mercier N, Dimitrijević V, Morley MW, Rakočević Z, Mihailović B, Guibert P, Babb J. A human mandible (BH-1) from the Pleistocene deposits of Mala Balanica cave (Sicevo Gorge, Nis, Serbia). in Journal of Human Evolution. 2011;61(2):186-196. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.03.003 .
Roksandić, Mirjana, Mihailović, Dušan, Mercier, Norbert, Dimitrijević, Vesna, Morley, Mike W., Rakočević, Zoran, Mihailović, Bojana, Guibert, Pierre, Babb, Jeff, "A human mandible (BH-1) from the Pleistocene deposits of Mala Balanica cave (Sicevo Gorge, Nis, Serbia)" in Journal of Human Evolution, 61, no. 2 (2011):186-196, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.03.003 . .