Publications by authors named "J L Arsuaga"
Article Synopsis
- The horse family (equids) has a rich fossil record showing significant evolutionary changes over the last 55 million years, with a wealth of ancient genomes sequenced to understand their domestication history.
- This study generated genome-wide data from 25 ancient equid specimens spanning 44,000 years in regions like Anatolia and Mongolia, revealing the presence of extinct species and new insights into their survival.
- The research also identified genetic differences among Asian wild asses and a common genetic signature in wild asses across continents, raising questions about the role of specific genetic changes in the extinction of certain equid species.
Caregiving for disabled individuals among Neanderthals has been known for a long time, and there is a debate about the implications of this behavior. Some authors believe that caregiving took place between individuals able to reciprocate the favor, while others argue that caregiving was produced by a feeling of compassion related to other highly adaptive prosocial behaviors. The study of children with severe pathologies is particularly interesting, as children have a very limited possibility to reciprocate the assistance.
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- The Sima de los Huesos site, discovered in 1976 and excavated systematically since 1984, is dated between 430,000 and 300,000 years ago and has yielded over 7,000 human fossils, the largest find before Homo sapiens.
- The fossils represent at least 29 individuals of varied ages and sexes, and studies suggest a close relationship to Homo neanderthalensis.
- Key findings include insights into body size, evidence of intentional burial, care for disabled individuals, and indications of complex oral communication similar to modern humans.
Tarsals from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site (Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain).
Anat Rec (Hoboken)
July 2024
Here, we provide a complete, updated, and illustrated inventory, as well as a comprehensive study, of the tarsals (rearfoot) recovered from the Middle Pleistocene site of Sima de los Huesos (SH, Atapuerca, Spain) in comparison to other Homo comparative samples, both extant and fossil. The minimum number of individuals (MNI) estimated from the tarsals has been established as 15, which represents 51.7% of the 29 dental individuals identified within the SH sample.
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