New fossils from Jebel Irhoud, Morocco and the pan-African origin of Homo sapiens

Fossil evidence points to an African origin of Homo sapiens from a group called either H. heidelbergensis or H. rhodesiensis. However, the exact place and time of emergence of H. sapiens remain obscure because the fossil record is scarce and the chronological age of many key specimens remains uncertain. In particular, it is unclear whether the present day ‘modern’ morphology rapidly emerged approximately 200 thousand years ago (ka) among earlier representatives of H. sapiens1 or evolved gradually over the last 400 thousand years2. Here we report newly discovered human fossils from Jebel Irhoud, Morocco, and interpret the affinities of the hominins from this site with other archaic and recent human groups. We identified a mosaic of features including facial, mandibular and dental morphology that aligns the Jebel Irhoud material with early or recent anatomically modern humans and more primitive neurocranial and endocranial morphology. In combination with an age of 315?±?34 thousand years (as determined by thermoluminescence dating)3, this evidence makes Jebel Irhoud the oldest and richest African Middle Stone Age hominin site that documents early stages of the H. sapiens clade in which key features of modern morphology were established. Furthermore, it shows that the evolutionary processes behind the emergence of H. sapiens involved the whole African continent

La sepulture collective neolithique d'Eybral (Coux-et-Bigarroque, Dordogne) etude anthropologique

SIGLEAvailable from INIST (FR), Document Supply Service, under shelf-number : T 81839 / INIST-CNRS - Institut de l'Information Scientifique et TechniqueFRFranc

Inner ear modifications in Dar-es-Soltane II H5 (Morocco): A case of labyrinthitis ossificans

Objective: This paper presents the inner ear modifications in Dar-es-Soltane II H5, an Aterian fossil possibly dated to 100 ka. Material: The remains consist of a large portion of the cranium including the face, the left frontal and temporal bones, part of the left parietal bone and greater wing of the sphenoid. Methods: The bony labyrinth anatomy was investigated on existing micro-CT data acquired by the MPI-EVA. Results: The observation of micro-CT sections revealed a partial filling of the semi-circular canals that raises question about its origin. A careful examination of the micro-CT sections shows that the elements present in the semicircular canals were denser than the sediments observed in other regions and cavities of the temporal bone. Conclusions: The current evidence suggests a pathological origin of this condition with partial ossification of the membranous labyrinth. The differential diagnosis indicates a case of labyrinthitis ossificans in its early stages. Significance: This pathological condition can be responsible for permanent hearing loss and is associated with dizziness and vertigo. Along with the Singa skull, Dar-es-Soltane II H5 represents one of the oldest known cases of labyrinthitis ossificans. Limitations: The early stage of disease and the absence of the right temporal bone limit conclusions about the degree of disability of the individual and their dependence on the rest of the group. Suggestions for further research: To carry out a paleopathological study of all the fossils from Dar-es-Soltane II.The first author has been supported by a research and travel grant from the Irene Levi Sala Care Archaeological Foundation, Switzerland. Additional support was provided by the LaScArBx (ANR-10-LABX-52), Franc

The rodents from the late Middle Pleistocene hominid-bearing site of J'bel Irhoud, Morocco, and their paleoclimatic significance

International audienc

The rodents from the late Middle Pleistocene hominid-bearing site of J'bel Irhoud, Morocco, and their paleoclimatic significance

International audienc

The age of the hominin fossils from Jebel Irhoud, Morocco, and the origins of the Middle Stone Age

The timing and location of the emergence of our species and of associated behavioural changes are crucial for our understanding of human evolution. The earliest fossil attributed to a modern form of Homo sapiens comes from eastern Africa and is approximately 195 thousand years old1, 2, therefore the emergence of modern human biology is commonly placed at around 200 thousand years ago3, 4. The earliest Middle Stone Age assemblages come from eastern and southern Africa but date much earlier5, 6,7. Here we report the ages, determined by thermoluminescence dating, of fire-heated flint artefacts obtained from new excavations at the Middle Stone Age site of Jebel Irhoud, Morocco, which are directly associated with newly discovered remains of H. sapiens8. A weighted average age places these Middle Stone Age artefacts and fossils at 315 ± 34 thousand years ago. Support is obtained through the recalculated uranium series with electron spin resonance date of 286 ± 32 thousand years ago for a tooth from the Irhoud 3 hominin mandible. These ages are also consistent with the faunal and microfaunal9assemblages and almost double the previous age estimates for the lower part of the deposits10, 11. The north African site of Jebel Irhoud contains one of the earliest directly dated Middle Stone Age assemblages, and its associated human remains are the oldest reported for H. sapiens. The emergence of our species and of the Middle Stone Age appear to be close in time, and these data suggest a larger scale, potentially pan-African, origin for both