Publication: A Neanderthal Lower Incisor from Cova del Gegant (Sitges,
Barcelona, Spain)
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2011
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Real Sociedad Española de Historia Natural
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Abstract
La Cova del Gegant está localizada en el término municipal de Sitges (Barcelona, España). La cavidad está desarrollada dentro de una diaclasa en un pequeño sistema kárstico que contiene material paleontológico y arqueológico del Pleistoceno Superior (Daura, et al., 2005). El yacimiento fue excavado por primera vez en 1954 y posteriormente en la década de los ’70 (Viñas, 1972; Viñas & Villalta, 1975) y ‘80 (Martínez et al., 1985; Mora, 1988; Martínez et al., 1990). Finalmente desde el 2007 el GRQ ha reiniciado los trabajos arqueológicos (Daura, 2008; Daura et al., 2010). En la primera campaña se recuperó una mandíbula humana que fue objeto de un minucioso análisis y publicada recientemente (Daura et al., 2005), esta mandíbula pertenecería a un individuo de la especie Homo neanderthalensis. En este trabajo describimos por primera vez un diente humano que fue recuperado en los trabajos arqueológicos de los años setenta e identificado como tal durante una revisión reciente del material en el año 2010.
El resto es un Incisivo Inferior Lateral Permanente. Su preservación es bastante buena, se conserva la totalidad de la corona, aunque la raíz está rota en su tercio apical. Este hecho hace muy difícil determinar si el diente ya estaba completamente formado o no. En la corona se aprecia un ligero desgaste oclusal inclinado hacia distal, pero sin exposición de dentina, además de una faceta mesial de contacto. La superficie Bucal es curvada y posee una fractura longitudinal en el esmalte. La superficie lingual muestra una forma de pala muy ligera con un ligero tubérculo lingual. La corona está cubierta por unas pequeñas manchas de concreción sedimentaria.
El análisis métrico muestra que este diente es lo suficientemente grande como para pertenecer a la especie neandertal tanto de manera absoluta como relativa (Diámetro Bucolingual=7.71mm; Diámetro Mesiodistal=7.30mm). Para probar esto se realiza una aproximación gráfica y un análisis discriminante. Este último se realiza para tener la probabilidad de asignación a una especie particular.
La asociación de este diente con la mandíbula recuperada previamente es muy difícil debido a la aparente diferencia de edad entre ambos elementos anatómicos. Uno representaría a un adulto (la mandíbula) y el otro representaría a un subadulto de entre 8 y 10 años.
Cova del Gegant is located near the city of Sitges (Barcelona, Spain). The cave is a small karst system which contains Upper Pleistocene archaeological and paleontological material (Daura et al., 2005). The site was first excavated in 1954 and then in 1972 and 1974- (Viñas, 1972; Viñas & Villalta, 1975) and in 1985 and 1989 (Martínez et al., 1985; Mora, 1988; Martínez et al., 1990). Finally, in 2007, Grup de Recerca del Quaternari has restarted the archaeological research at Cova del Gegant (Daura, 2008; Daura et al., 2010). A human mandible was recovered during the first field season in 1954 and was recently published by Daura et al. (2005). In the present study, we describe a new human tooth (left I2) that appeared, like the mandible, in a revision of the faunal material recovered from the site in 1974-1975. The specimen preserves the entire crown and the cervical two thirds of the root (Figure 1). The lack of the root apex makes it difficult to determine if the tooth was fully developed at the time of death. However, CT analysis reveals a pulp cavity that could be still open, suggesting root formation was incomplete. The specimen shows only slight dental wear corresponding to stage 2 of Molnar (1971 en Hillson, 1996). Morphologically, the crown shows slight shovelling and a lingual tubercle and appears similar to Neandertal incisors. Standard crown measurements (buccolingual diameter=7.7 mm; mesiodistal diameter= 7.3 mm) (Figure 2) suggest a fairly large tooth, particularly in the BL dimension, again resembling Neandertals in this regard. Discriminant analysis classified the Gegant incisor as Neandertal with a 99.8% posterior probability (Table 2). Association of this tooth with the previously described mandible is considered unlikely given the different ages at death estimated for each. Thus, there appear to be two individuals preserved in the sediments of the Gegant cave, one adult and one subadult (around 8-10 years old).
Cova del Gegant is located near the city of Sitges (Barcelona, Spain). The cave is a small karst system which contains Upper Pleistocene archaeological and paleontological material (Daura et al., 2005). The site was first excavated in 1954 and then in 1972 and 1974- (Viñas, 1972; Viñas & Villalta, 1975) and in 1985 and 1989 (Martínez et al., 1985; Mora, 1988; Martínez et al., 1990). Finally, in 2007, Grup de Recerca del Quaternari has restarted the archaeological research at Cova del Gegant (Daura, 2008; Daura et al., 2010). A human mandible was recovered during the first field season in 1954 and was recently published by Daura et al. (2005). In the present study, we describe a new human tooth (left I2) that appeared, like the mandible, in a revision of the faunal material recovered from the site in 1974-1975. The specimen preserves the entire crown and the cervical two thirds of the root (Figure 1). The lack of the root apex makes it difficult to determine if the tooth was fully developed at the time of death. However, CT analysis reveals a pulp cavity that could be still open, suggesting root formation was incomplete. The specimen shows only slight dental wear corresponding to stage 2 of Molnar (1971 en Hillson, 1996). Morphologically, the crown shows slight shovelling and a lingual tubercle and appears similar to Neandertal incisors. Standard crown measurements (buccolingual diameter=7.7 mm; mesiodistal diameter= 7.3 mm) (Figure 2) suggest a fairly large tooth, particularly in the BL dimension, again resembling Neandertals in this regard. Discriminant analysis classified the Gegant incisor as Neandertal with a 99.8% posterior probability (Table 2). Association of this tooth with the previously described mandible is considered unlikely given the different ages at death estimated for each. Thus, there appear to be two individuals preserved in the sediments of the Gegant cave, one adult and one subadult (around 8-10 years old).