Postcranial hominin remains from the Late Pleistocene of Pesturina Cave (Serbia)

Abstract

The Central Balkans represents a significant geographical gap in the human fossil record of Eurasia. Here we present two new human fossils from Pesturina Cave, Serbia: a partial atlas vertebra (C1) and a fragment of radial diaphysis. The atlas (Pes-1) derives from the lower portion of Layer 2 and conforms to modern human morphology. This layer is characterized by Gravettian industry despite uncertainties caused by bioturbation and difficulties in separating Layers 2 and 3. The radial fragment (Pes-2) was recovered from the contact zone between Layers 3 and 4, both of which represent Mousterian industries, and is tentatively assessed as Neanderthal based on morphology. With the recent publication of a Neanderthal molar (Pes-3) from the same site, Pesturina currently stands as the only Neanderthal fossil-bearing site in Serbia. These additional finds make Pesturina Cave the only site in the Central Balkans which preserves both modern human and Neanderthal remains with associated lithic industries and highlights the importance of Pesturina in the current discourse on hominin dispersals and migrations in the Balkans.