9621 Agnes Crossing, Lake Suzanneview, New Mexico Island 84604-9295.
A genetic study at an archaeological site in Germany shows that modern humans lived in Northern Europe 45,000 years ago, coinciding with Neanderthals and changing our understanding of
A genetic study at an archaeological site in Germany shows that modern humans lived in Northern Europe 45,000 years ago, coinciding with Neanderthals and changing our understanding of early human history in the region. Genetic analysis of bone fragments found at an archaeological site in central Germany suggests that modern humans — homo sapiens – It reached Northern Europe 45,000 years ago, several thousand years before the Neanderthals became extinct.
The findings show that a site near Ranis, Germany, known for its finely faceted leaf-shaped stone tool blades, is one of the oldest confirmed sites of Stone Age modern human culture in north-central and northwestern Europe.
For evidence homo sapiens And Homo neanderthalism They lived side by side, consistent with genomic evidence showing that the two species occasionally interbred. It also raises suspicions that the invasion of Europe and Asia by modern humans about 50,000 years ago led to the extinction of Neanderthals, who had lived in the region for more than 500,000 years.
Archaeological and isotopic analysis and radiocarbon dating of the Ranis site, as well as genetic analysis, are detailed in three articles recently published in journals. Nature And Nature Ecology and Evolution.
Stone blades called leaf tips at Ranis resemble stone tools and have been found at various sites in Moravia, Poland, Germany and Great Britain. These tools, which are believed to have been produced by a single culture, are called Lincombian-Erken-Yerzmanovic (LRJ) culture or technocomplex. Previous dating suggested the Ranis site was 40,000 years old or older, but since there were no identifiable bones to show who made the tools, it was unclear whether they were the product of Neanderthals or Neanderthals. homo sapiens.
New findings show thathomo sapiens created this technology and what homo sapiens “It was very far north at this time period, 45,000 years ago,” said Olena Zavala, one of the first four authors of the Nature paper. And Miller research assistant. at the University of California at Berkeley. “So these are some of the oldest homo sapiens in Europe”.
Zavala had a Ph.D. He first started working on the project in 2018, while he was a student at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA) in Leipzig; This project was a major undertaking under the direction of Professor Jean-Jacques Hüblin, former director of the institute. College de France in Paris.
“Ranis cave bears witness to the first settlement homo sapiens in the high latitudes of Europe. Stone artifacts thought to have been made by Neanderthals turned out to be part of an ancient tool kit homo sapiens “said Hablin. “This fundamentally changes our previous knowledge of this period: homo sapiens “It reached northwestern Europe long before Neanderthals disappeared from southwestern Europe.”
Zavala conducted genetic analysis of hominid bone fragments recovered from new, deeper excavations at Ranis between 2016 and 2022, as well as from earlier excavations in the 1930s. Because the DNA in the ancient bones was highly fragmented, he used special techniques to isolate and sequence the DNA, which was all maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).
“We confirmed that the skeletal parts belonged to homo sapiens. Interestingly, many fragments share the same mitochondrial DNA sequence; “This shows that the pieces belonged to the same person or their maternal relatives, linking these new finds to those found decades ago.”
The bone fragments were first identified as human by analyzing bone proteins, a field called paleoproteomics, by the other first author, Dorothea Mylopotamitaki, a postdoctoral researcher at the Collège de France and formerly of MPI-EVA.
By comparing Ranis’ mitochondrial DNA sequences with mtDNA sequences obtained from human remains from other Paleolithic sites in Europe, Zavala was able to construct an early family tree. homo sapiens Europe wide. All but one of the 13 Ranis fragments were very similar to each other and were surprisingly similar to the mtDNA of a 43,000-year-old female skull found in a cave at Zlatý kůň in the Czech Republic. The only standout in the group with one person from Italy.
“It raises some questions: Was it a single population? What kind of relationship might there be?” said Zavala. “But when it comes to mitochondrial DNA, that’s only one side of the story. That’s just the mother’s side. “We’ll need nuclear DNA to start investigating this.”
Zavala specializes in analyzing DNA found in long-buried bones, bone tools and sediments. His research in sediments at various levels of the Ranis excavation revealed DNA from a wide range of mammals, but no hominid DNA. The analysis, combined with morphological, isotopic and proteomic analysis of bone fragments, paints a picture of the environment at the time and the diet of both humans and animals that lived in the cave for thousands of years.
For example, the presence of reindeer, cave bear, woolly rhino and horse bones indicates cold climatic conditions typical of the steppe tundra and similar to those in modern-day Siberia and northern Scandinavia, as well as a human diet based on large land animals. The researchers concluded that the cave primarily provides wintering for cave bears and hyenas, with only occasional human presence.
“This less intense archaeological signature is consistent with other Lincombe-Ranizka-Yerzmanovit sites and is best explained by short-term purposeful visits by small groups of mobile pioneers.” sapiens “, says one of the published articles Nature Ecology and Evolution.
Source: Port Altele
As an experienced journalist and author, Mary has been reporting on the latest news and trends for over 5 years. With a passion for uncovering the stories behind the headlines, Mary has earned a reputation as a trusted voice in the world of journalism. Her writing style is insightful, engaging and thought-provoking, as she takes a deep dive into the most pressing issues of our time.
