The Xujiayao 14 Mandibular Ramus and Pleistocene Homo Mandibular
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Palevol xxx (2013) xxx–xxx Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Comptes Rendus Palevol www.sci encedirect.com Human palaeontology and prehistory (Palaeoanthropology) The Xujiayao 14 Mandibular Ramus and Pleistocene Homo Mandibular Variation Branche mandibulaire de Xujiayao 14 et variation mandibulaire chez l’Homo pléistocène a b,∗ Xiu-Jie Wu , Erik Trinkaus a Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China b Department of Anthropology, Washington University, Saint Louis MO 63130, USA a b s t r a c t a r t i c l e i n f o Article history: The earlier Late Pleistocene mandibular ramus from Xujiayao (northern China) preserves Received 29 August 2013 traits that vary distributionally among western Old World Pleistocene Homo samples and Accepted after revision 10 October 2013 between Early/Middle Pleistocene archaic humans and Late Pleistocene modern humans in Available online xxx eastern Eurasia. Xujiayao 14 presents a lateral mandibular notch crest, an open mandibular foramen, a wide ramus, an asymmetrical mandibular notch, an enlarged superior medial Presented by Yves Coppens pterygoid tubercle, (probably) a retromolar space, and gonial eversion, as well as an unusual depression in the planum triangulare. The first two traits appear ancestral for Later Pleis- Keywords: tocene and recent Homo and are dominant among modern humans. The second two traits Mandible largely separate Xujiayao 14 and archaic Homo from modern humans. The next two traits are China found in the highest frequency among the Neandertals, although gonial eversion contrasts Homo with Late Pleistocene Neandertals. Xujiayao 14, in the context of Pleistocene and recent Late Pleistocene Homo samples and the other Xujiayao human remains, therefore provides a morphological Late Archaic Ramus mosaic, highlighting regional variation through the Pleistocene. Neandertal © 2013 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved. r é s u m é Mots clés : Cet article décrit une branche mandibulaire humaine du Pléistocène supérieur ancien trou- Mandibule vée à Xujiayao (Chine du Nord). La pièce porte des caractères dont la distribution varie Chine parmi les groupes attribués à Homo et issus de l’Ouest de l’ancien monde, mais aussi Homo entre les hommes archaïques du Pléistocène ancien et moyen et les hommes modernes Pléistocène récent du Pléistocène supérieur d’Asie de l’Est. Dans le détail, Xujiayao 14 présente une incisure Archaïque récent mandibulaire en position latérale par rapport au condyle, un foramen mandibulaire en Branche mandibulaire Neandertal forme de V, une branche large, une incisure mandibulaire asymétrique, un tubercule ptéry- goïdien médial supérieur développé, un probable espace rétromolaire et une éversion goniaque, ainsi qu’une dépression peu commune dans le planum triangulare. Les deux premiers traits semblent être primitifs pour les représentants tardifs du genre Homo et sont ∗ Corresponding author. E-mail address: [email protected] (E. Trinkaus). 1631-0683/$ – see front matter © 2013 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.crpv.2013.10.002 Please cite this article in press as:Wu, X.-J., Trinkaus, E., The Xujiayao 14 Mandibular Ramus and Pleistocene Homo Mandibular Variation. C. R. Palevol (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.crpv.2013.10.002 G Model PALEVO-742; No. of Pages 9 ARTICLE IN PRESS 2 X.-J. Wu, E. Trinkaus / C. R. Palevol xxx (2013) xxx–xxx prédominants chez les hommes modernes. Les deux caractères suivants séparent nette- ment Xujiayao 14 et les représentants primitifs du genre Homo des hommes modernes. Les cinquième et sixième caractères sont les plus fréquents chez les Néandertaliens, alors que l’ éversion goniaque tranche avec les Néandertaliens du Pléistocène supérieur. Xujiayao 14, considéré dans le contexte à la fois des représentants récents et du Pléistocène du genre Homo et des autres restes humains de Xujiayao, présente une mosaïque morphologique qui met en évidence l’existence d’une variabilité régionale au cours du Pléistocène. © 2013 Académie des sciences. Publié par Elsevier Masson SAS. Tous droits réservés. 1. Introduction antemortem, such that the original height was probably a few millimeters higher and the highest point was more There have been a number of assessments of mandibular anterior. The posterior ramal margin is intact from the variation among western Old World Pleistocene humans condylar neck around gonion and the medial pterygoid (from Europe, Africa and southwestern Asia), many of them insertion. The inferior margin is present laterally but not focused on identifying the extent to which the mandibles of medially. The anterior margin of the ramus is present to the the western Eurasian Neandertals diverge from the ances- level of the distal M3 alveolus, but there is no trace of the tral Homo and modern human patterns (e.g., Carbonell M3 socket or of the porous retromolar surface. The medial et al., 2005; Howells, 1975; Lebel and Trinkaus, 2002; surface is missing bone along the inferior alveolar nerve Rak et al., 1994; Rosas, 2001; Smith, 1978; Stefan and canal, preserving the floor of the canal by the mandibu- Trinkaus, 1998a). From these comparisons, despite docu- lar foramen; it lacks the anterosuperior canal margin and mented variation within paleontologically defined samples the lingula, but the superior 14.5 mm of the posteroinferior (Rosas, 2001; Stefan and Trinkaus, 1998b), it has become margin is intact. apparent that certain aspects of the mandibular ramus The mandible (Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology achieved higher frequencies among the Neandertals than and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) PA 1497) was excavated in among other human groups. 1977 at the Xujiayao (Hsuchiayao) site, Locality 74093 In these assessments, there has been only occasional in Houjiayao village, northwestern Nihewan Basin, Hebai ◦ ◦ reference to Pleistocene human mandibular variation east Province, northern China (40 06 02 N, 113 58 39 ◦ of ∼50 E longitude (Carbonell et al., 2005; Rosas, 2001); E) (Wu, 1980). The deposits consist of open-air fluviatile assessments of those eastern remains have been prin- and lacustrine deposits, with erosional surfaces present cipally in the context of fossil descriptions (e.g., Kaifu within stratigraphic layers of sandy or silty clay. The 1976, et al., 2005; Shang and Trinkaus, 2010; Suzuki, 1982; 1977 and 1979 excavations yielded thousands of lithic Weidenreich, 1936; Woo, 1964; Wu, 1980), with pan- artifacts, abundant faunal remains, and 17 fragmentary Old World reference principally to the Earlier Pleistocene human remains from a sloping layer of yellowish-green remains. This situation has been driven in part by the clay, that was between 8 and 12 m below the modern sur- dearth of Pleistocene Homo mandibles in eastern Eurasia, face (Chia and Wei, 1976; Chia et al., 1979). The faunal particularly of late archaic humans. Currently, one such assemblage is dominated by late Middle and earlier Late specimen is known, the Xujiayao 14 mandibular ramus. Pleistocene species (Chia et al., 1979) and includes both It has received little more than inventorial mention (Wu, colder and more temperate species; a cooler climatic infer- 1980; Wu and Poirier, 1995), but it provides information ence is supported by palynological remains (Yan et al., on several of the features that have figured prominently 1979). in western mandibular assessments. It can therefore be A precise radiometric age for the archeological level has placed in the contexts of the Early and Middle Pleistocene remained elusive. Uranium-series dating on Equus sp. and specimens from Zhoukoudian, Sangiran and Chenjiawo Coelodonta antiquitatis tooth enamel provided mean ages (Lantian) and Late Pleistocene early modern humans between ∼104 ka BP and ∼125 ka BP (Chen et al., 1982, from Tianyuandong, Moh Khiew, Upper Cave (Zhouk- 1984), within Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5. The deposits oudian) and Minatogawa, as well as samples of Pleistocene are above a paleomagnetically reversed sequence, below archaic and modern humans from the western Old ∼ 15 mm, which has been interpreted as the early MIS 5 World. Blake Excursion (Liu et al., 1992), 119–126 ka BP (Lund et al., 2006). Preliminary optically stimulated luminescence 2. Materials and methods (OSL) dating of the archeological horizon provided late MIS 4 ages (60 ± 8 and 69 ± 8 ka BP) (Nagatomo et al., 2009). 2.1. Xujiayao 14 The Xujiayao human remains therefore derive from early Late Pleistocene (MIS 5 to 4) deposits. Morphologically, the Xujiayao 14 is a right mandibular ramus with a largely full human fossil sample represents late archaic humans complete lateral surface but a partial medial surface (Fig. 1). and are distinct from H. erectus and early modern humans The condylar neck is complete, but the condyle is absent. (Chia et al., 1979; Wu, 1980, 1986; Wu and Poirier, 1995). In The coronoid process is largely complete. The mandibular particular, the Xujiayao 6 and 12 occipital bones, the Xuji- notch is intact, with minor damage to the anterior edge just ayao 15 temporal bone and the Xujiayao 1 dentition lack below the coronoid tip but continuing to the original edge distinctive external morphological features of the Nean- of the condyle. The tip of the coronoid process was reduced dertals. Please cite this article in press as:Wu, X.-J., Trinkaus, E., The Xujiayao 14 Mandibular Ramus and Pleistocene Homo Mandibular Variation. C. R. Palevol (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.crpv.2013.10.002 G Model PALEVO-742; No. of Pages 9 ARTICLE IN PRESS X.-J. Wu, E. Trinkaus / C. R. Palevol xxx (2013) xxx–xxx 3 Fig. 2. Ramal discrete traits, indicated on the Xujiayao 14 mandible. A: mandibular notch (asymmetrical); B: mandibular foramen posterior mar- gin (open); C: superior medial pterygoid tubercle (enlarged); D: notch crest to condyle (lateral); E: gonion (everted); F-F: minimum ramus breadth.