Research Article
Middle pleistocene dental remains from Qesem Cave (Israel)
Abstract
This study presents a description and comparative analysis of Middle Pleistocene permanent and deciduous teeth from the site of Qesem Cave (Israel). All of the human fossils are assigned to the Acheulo‐Yabrudian Cultural Complex (AYCC) of the late Lower Paleolithic. The Middle Pleistocene age of the Qesem teeth (400–200 ka) places them chronologically earlier than the bulk of fossil hominin specimens previously known from southwest Asia. Three permanent mandibular teeth (C1‐P4) were found in close proximity in the lower part of the stratigraphic sequence. The small metric dimensions of the crowns indicate a considerable degree of dental reduction although the roots are long and robust. In contrast, three isolated permanent maxillary teeth (I2, C1, and M3) and two isolated deciduous teeth that were found within the upper part of the sequence are much larger and show some plesiomorphous traits similar to those of the Skhul/Qafzeh specimens. Although none of the Qesem teeth shows a suite of Neanderthal characters, a few traits may suggest some affinities with members of the Neanderthal evolutionary lineage. However, the balance of the evidence suggests a closer similarity with the Skhul/Qafzeh dental material, although many of these resemblances likely represent plesiomorphous features. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Citing Literature
Number of times cited: 71
- Chris Stringer and Julia Galway-Witham, When did modern humans leave Africa?, Science, 359, 6374, (389), (2018).
- Israel Hershkovitz, Gerhard W. Weber, Rolf Quam, Mathieu Duval, Rainer Grün, Leslie Kinsley, Avner Ayalon, Miryam Bar-Matthews, Helene Valladas, Norbert Mercier, Juan Luis Arsuaga, María Martinón-Torres, José María Bermúdez de Castro, Cinzia Fornai, Laura Martín-Francés, Rachel Sarig, Hila May, Viktoria A. Krenn, Viviane Slon, Laura Rodríguez, Rebeca García, Carlos Lorenzo, Jose Miguel Carretero, Amos Frumkin, Ruth Shahack-Gross, Daniella E. Bar-Yosef Mayer, Yaming Cui, Xinzhi Wu, Natan Peled, Iris Groman-Yaroslavski, Lior Weissbrod, Reuven Yeshurun, Alexander Tsatskin, Yossi Zaidner and Mina Weinstein-Evron, The earliest modern humans outside Africa, Science, 359, 6374, (456), (2018).
- Israel Hershkovitz and Viviane Slon, Levantine fossil record, The International Encyclopedia of Biological Anthropology, (1-5), (2018).
- Xing Gao, Fei Peng, QiaoMei Fu and Feng Li, New progress in understanding the origins of modern humans in China, Science China Earth Sciences, 60, 12, (2160), (2017).
- José María Bermúdez de Castro, María Martinón‐Torres, Laura Martín‐Francés, Marina Martínez de Pinillos, Mario Modesto‐Mata, Cecilia García‐Campos, Xiujie Wu, Song Xing and Wu Liu, Early Pleistocene hominin deciduous teeth from the Homo antecessor Gran Dolina‐TD6 bearing level (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain), American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 163, 3, (602-615), (2017).
- Katerina Harvati and Elisabeth Nicholson Lopez, A 3-D Look at the Tabun C2 Jaw, Human Paleontology and Prehistory, 10.1007/978-3-319-46646-0_15, (203-213), (2017).
- A. -M. Tillier and B. Arensburg, Le Levant méditerranéen et les nomades moustériens : un territoire de confluence, BMSAP, 29, 3-4, (195), (2017).
- Huw S. Groucutt, Eleanor M.L. Scerri, Chris Stringer and Michael D. Petraglia, Skhul lithic technology and the dispersal of Homo sapiens into Southwest Asia, Quaternary International, 10.1016/j.quaint.2017.12.027, (2017).
- Cristiana Margherita, Gregorio Oxilia, Veronica Barbi, Daniele Panetta, Jean-Jacques Hublin, David Lordkipanidze, Tengiz Meshveliani, Nino Jakeli, Zinovi Matskevich, Ofer Bar-Yosef, Anna Belfer-Cohen, Ron Pinhasi and Stefano Benazzi, Morphological description and morphometric analyses of the Upper Palaeolithic human remains from Dzudzuana and Satsurblia caves, western Georgia, Journal of Human Evolution, 10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.07.011, 113, (83-90), (2017).
- Mina Weinstein-Evron and Yossi Zaidner, The Acheulo-Yabrudian – Early Middle Paleolithic Sequence of Misliya Cave, Mount Carmel, Israel, Human Paleontology and Prehistory, 10.1007/978-3-319-46646-0_14, (187-201), (2017).
- Shara E. Bailey, Timothy D. Weaver and Jean-Jacques Hublin, The Dentition of the Earliest Modern Humans: How ‘Modern’ Are They?, Human Paleontology and Prehistory, 10.1007/978-3-319-46646-0_16, (215-232), (2017).
- Mirjana Roksandic, Predrag Radović and Joshua Lindal, Revising the hypodigm of Homo heidelbergensis : A view from the Eastern Mediterranean, Quaternary International, 10.1016/j.quaint.2017.10.013, (2017).
- Rachel Sarig, Avi Gopher, Ran Barkai, Jordi Rosell, Ruth Blasco, Gerhard W. Weber, Cinzia Fornai, Tatiana Sella-Tunis and Israel Hershkovitz, How did the Qesem Cave people use their teeth? Analysis of dental wear patterns, Quaternary International, 398, (136), (2016).
- Gerhard W. Weber, Cinzia Fornai, Avi Gopher, Ran Barkai, Rachel Sarig and Israel Hershkovitz, The Qesem Cave hominin material (part 1): A morphometric analysis of the mandibular premolars and molar, Quaternary International, 10.1016/j.quaint.2015.10.027, 398, (159-174), (2016).
- Lucy Wilson, Aviad Agam, Ran Barkai and Avi Gopher, Raw material choices in Amudian versus Yabrudian lithic assemblages at Qesem Cave: A preliminary evaluation, Quaternary International, 398, (61), (2016).
- Vladimir Doronichev, The Pre-Mousterian industrial complex in Europe between 400 and 300 ka: Interpreting its origin and spatiotemporal variability, Quaternary International, 409, (222), (2016).
- Miki Ben‐Dor, Avi Gopher and Ran Barkai, Neandertals' large lower thorax may represent adaptation to high protein diet, American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 160, 3, (367-378), (2016).
- Karen Hardy, Anita Radini, Stephen Buckley, Rachel Sarig, Les Copeland, Avi Gopher and Ran Barkai, Dental calculus reveals potential respiratory irritants and ingestion of essential plant-based nutrients at Lower Palaeolithic Qesem Cave Israel, Quaternary International, 398, (129), (2016).
- Ron Shimelmitz, Ran Barkai and Avi Gopher, Regional variability in late Lower Paleolithic Amudian blade technology: Analyzing new data from Qesem, Tabun and Yabrud I, Quaternary International, 398, (37), (2016).
- Cinzia Fornai, Stefano Benazzi, Avi Gopher, Ran Barkai, Rachel Sarig, Fred L. Bookstein, Israel Hershkovitz and Gerhard W. Weber, The Qesem Cave hominin material (part 2): A morphometric analysis of dm2-QC2 deciduous lower second molar, Quaternary International, 10.1016/j.quaint.2015.11.102, 398, (175-189), (2016).
- Avi Gopher, Yoni Parush, Ella Assaf and Ran Barkai, Spatial aspects as seen from a density analysis of lithics at Middle Pleistocene Qesem Cave: Preliminary results and observations, Quaternary International, 398, (103), (2016).
- Antonio Sánchez-Marco, Ruth Blasco, Jordi Rosell, Avi Gopher and Ran Barkai, Birds as indicators of high biodiversity zones around the Middle Pleistocene Qesem Cave, Israel, Quaternary International, 421, (23), (2016).
- Avi Gopher and Ran Barkai, State of the art of the multidisciplinary research at Middle Pleistocene Qesem Cave, Israel, 2015 – An introduction, Quaternary International, 398, (1), (2016).
- Matthew M. Skinner, Dorien de Vries, Philipp Gunz, Kornelius Kupczik, R. Paul Klassen, Jean-Jacques Hublin and Mirjana Roksandic, A dental perspective on the taxonomic affinity of the Balanica mandible (BH-1), Journal of Human Evolution, 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.01.010, 93, (63-81), (2016).
- Ruth Blasco, Jordi Rosell, Pablo Sañudo, Avi Gopher and Ran Barkai, What happens around a fire: Faunal processing sequences and spatial distribution at Qesem Cave (300 ka), Israel, Quaternary International, 398, (190), (2016).
- Cristina Lemorini, Laurence Bourguignon, Andrea Zupancich, Avi Gopher and Ran Barkai, A scraper's life history: Morpho-techno-functional and use-wear analysis of Quina and demi-Quina scrapers from Qesem Cave, Israel, Quaternary International, 398, (86), (2016).
- Krister T. Smith, Lutz Christian Maul, Felicitas Flemming, Ran Barkai and Avi Gopher, The microvertebrates of Qesem Cave: A comparison of the two concentrations, Quaternary International, 10.1016/j.quaint.2015.04.047, 398, (233-245), (2016).
- Ron Shimelmitz, Mina Weinstein-Evron, Avraham Ronen and Steven L. Kuhn, The Lower to Middle Paleolithic transition and the diversification of Levallois technology in the Southern Levant: Evidence from Tabun Cave, Israel, Quaternary International, 409, (23), (2016).
- Yoni Parush, Avi Gopher and Ran Barkai, Amudian versus Yabrudian under the rock shelf: A study of two lithic assemblages from Qesem Cave, Israel, Quaternary International, 398, (13), (2016).
- Israel Hershkovitz, Gerhard W. Weber, Cinzia Fornai, Avi Gopher, Ran Barkai, Viviane Slon, Rolf Quam, Yankel Gabet and Rachel Sarig, New Middle Pleistocene dental remains from Qesem Cave (Israel), Quaternary International, 10.1016/j.quaint.2015.08.059, 398, (148-158), (2016).
- Ella Assaf, Ran Barkai and Avi Gopher, Knowledge transmission and apprentice flint-knappers in the Acheulo-Yabrudian: A case study from Qesem Cave, Israel, Quaternary International, 398, (70), (2016).
- Lutz Christian Maul, Angela A. Bruch, Krister T. Smith, Georgy Shenbrot, Ran Barkai and Avi Gopher, Palaeoecological and biostratigraphical implications of the microvertebrates of Qesem Cave in Israel, Quaternary International, 10.1016/j.quaint.2015.04.032, 398, (219-232), (2016).
- C. Falguères, M. Richard, O. Tombret, Q. Shao, J.J. Bahain, A. Gopher and R. Barkai, New ESR/U-series dates in Yabrudian and Amudian layers at Qesem Cave, Israel, Quaternary International, 398, (6), (2016).
- Marie-Hélène Moncel, Marta Arzarello and Carlo Peretto, The Hoslteinian period in Europe (MIS 11-9), Quaternary International, 409, (1), (2016).
- Hiroyuki Yamada, Yutaka Kunimatsu and Yuzuru Hamada, Deciduous canine morphology in recent Japanese, Anthropological Science (Japanese Series), 124, 2, (73), (2016).
- Ran Barkai and Avi Gopher, On anachronism: The curious presence of Spheroids and Polyhedrons at Acheulo–Yabrudian Qesem Cave, Israel, Quaternary International, 398, (118), (2016).
- Ruth Blasco, Jordi Rosell, Krister T. Smith, Lutz Christian Maul, Pablo Sañudo, Ran Barkai and Avi Gopher, Tortoises as a dietary supplement: A view from the Middle Pleistocene site of Qesem Cave, Israel, Quaternary Science Reviews, 133, (165), (2016).
- Viviane Slon, Isabelle Glocke, Ran Barkai, Avi Gopher, Israel Hershkovitz and Matthias Meyer, Mammalian mitochondrial capture, a tool for rapid screening of DNA preservation in faunal and undiagnostic remains, and its application to Middle Pleistocene specimens from Qesem Cave (Israel), Quaternary International, 398, (210), (2016).
- Yoni Parush, Ella Assaf, Viviane Slon, Avi Gopher and Ran Barkai, Looking for sharp edges: Modes of flint recycling at Middle Pleistocene Qesem Cave, Israel, Quaternary International, 361, (61), (2015).
- Ella Assaf, Yoni Parush, Avi Gopher and Ran Barkai, Intra-site variability in lithic recycling at Qesem Cave, Israel, Quaternary International, 361, (88), (2015).
- James C.M. Ahern, Archaic Homo, Basics in Human Evolution, 10.1016/B978-0-12-802652-6.00012-8, (163-176), (2015).
- Katerina Harvati, Catherine C. Bauer, Frederick E. Grine, Stefano Benazzi, Rebecca Rogers Ackermann, Karen L. van Niekerk and Christopher S. Henshilwood, A human deciduous molar from the Middle Stone Age (Howiesons Poort) of Klipdrift Shelter, South Africa, Journal of Human Evolution, 10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.03.001, 82, (190-196), (2015).
- Rolf Quam, Montserrat Sanz, Joan Daura, Kate Robson Brown, Rebeca García-González, Laura Rodríguez, Heidi Dawson, Rosa Flor Rodríguez, Sandra Gómez, Lucía Villaescusa, Ángel Rubio, Almudena Yagüe, María Cruz Ortega Martínez, Josep Maria Fullola, João Zilhão and Juan Luis Arsuaga, The Neandertals of northeastern Iberia: New remains from the Cova del Gegant (Sitges, Barcelona), Journal of Human Evolution, 10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.02.002, 81, (13-28), (2015).
- Jordi Rosell, Ruth Blasco, Josep Fernández Peris, Eudald Carbonell, Ran Barkai and Avi Gopher, Recycling bones in the Middle Pleistocene: Some reflections from Gran Dolina TD10-1 (Spain), Bolomor Cave (Spain) and Qesem Cave (Israel), Quaternary International, 361, (297), (2015).
- Rachel Sarig, Israel Hershkovitz, Nir Shvalb, Tatiana Sella‐Tunis, Hila May and Alexander D. Vardimon, Proximal attrition facets: morphometric, demographic, and aging characteristics, European Journal of Oral Sciences, 122, 4, (271-278), (2014).
- Ruth Blasco, Jordi Rosell, Avi Gopher and Ran Barkai, Subsistence economy and social life: A zooarchaeological view from the 300 kya central hearth at Qesem Cave, Israel, Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 10.1016/j.jaa.2014.06.005, 35, (248-268), (2014).
- John J. Shea, Sink the Mousterian? Named stone tool industries (NASTIES) as obstacles to investigating hominin evolutionary relationships in the Later Middle Paleolithic Levant, Quaternary International, 350, (169), (2014).
- Suzanna White, John A.J. Gowlett and Matt Grove, The place of the Neanderthals in hominin phylogeny, Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 10.1016/j.jaa.2014.04.004, 35, (32-50), (2014).
- Stefano Benazzi, Shara E. Bailey, Marco Peresani, Marcello A. Mannino, Matteo Romandini, Michael P. Richards and Jean-Jacques Hublin, Middle Paleolithic and Uluzzian human remains from Fumane Cave, Italy, Journal of Human Evolution, 10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.03.001, 70, (61-68), (2014).
- Clément Zanolli, Luca Bondioli, Alfredo Coppa, Christopher M. Dean, Priscilla Bayle, Francesca Candilio, Silvia Capuani, Diego Dreossi, Ivana Fiore, David W. Frayer, Yosief Libsekal, Lucia Mancini, Lorenzo Rook, Tsegai Medin Tekle, Claudio Tuniz and Roberto Macchiarelli, The late Early Pleistocene human dental remains from Uadi Aalad and Mulhuli-Amo (Buia), Eritrean Danakil: Macromorphology and microstructure, Journal of Human Evolution, 10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.04.005, 74, (96-113), (2014).
- Christopher J. Bae, Wei Wang, Jianxin Zhao, Shengming Huang, Feng Tian and Guanjun Shen, Modern human teeth from Late Pleistocene Luna Cave (Guangxi, China), Quaternary International, 10.1016/j.quaint.2014.06.051, 354, (169-183), (2014).
- Ruth Blasco, Jordi Rosell, Felipe Cuartero, Josep Fernández Peris, Avi Gopher, Ran Barkai and Michael D. Petraglia, Using Bones to Shape Stones: MIS 9 Bone Retouchers at Both Edges of the Mediterranean Sea, PLoS ONE, 8, 10, (e76780), (2013).
- Robert G. Franciscus and Trenton W. Holliday, Crossroads of the Old World, The Origins of Modern Humans, (45-88), (2013).
- Wu Liu, Lynne A. Schepartz, Song Xing, Sari Miller-Antonio, Xiujie Wu, Erik Trinkaus and María Martinón-Torres, Late Middle Pleistocene hominin teeth from Panxian Dadong, South China, Journal of Human Evolution, 64, 5, (337), (2013).
- RAN BARKAI, AVI GOPHER, NATALYA SOLODENKO and CRISTINA LEMORINI, An Amudian Oddity: A Giant Biface from Late Lower Palaeolithic Qesem Cave, Tel Aviv, 40, 2, (176), (2013).
- Rachel Sarig, Nikolaos V. Lianopoulos, Israel Hershkovitz and Alexander D. Vardimon, The arrangement of the interproximal interfaces in the human permanent dentition, Clinical Oral Investigations, 10.1007/s00784-012-0759-4, 17, 3, (731-738), (2012).
- Norbert Mercier, Hélène Valladas, Christophe Falguères, Qingfeng Shao, Avi Gopher, Ran Barkai, Jean-Jacques Bahain, Laurence Vialettes, Jean-Louis Joron and Jean-Louis Reyss, New datings of Amudian layers at Qesem Cave (Israel): results of TL applied to burnt flints and ESR/U-series to teeth, Journal of Archaeological Science, 40, 7, (3011), (2013).
- Adeline Le Cabec, Philipp Gunz, Kornelius Kupczik, José Braga and Jean-Jacques Hublin, Anterior tooth root morphology and size in Neanderthals: Taxonomic and functional implications, Journal of Human Evolution, 10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.08.011, 64, 3, (169-193), (2013).
- K.T. Smith, L.C. Maul, R. Barkai and A. Gopher, To catch a chameleon, or actualism vs. natural history in the taphonomy of the microvertebrate fraction at Qesem Cave, Israel, Journal of Archaeological Science, 10.1016/j.jas.2013.02.022, 40, 8, (3326-3339), (2013).
- O. Bar-Yosef and A. Belfer-Cohen, Following Pleistocene road signs of human dispersals across Eurasia, Quaternary International, 285, (30), (2013).
- Andrea Rinaldi, To hype, or not to(o) hype, EMBO reports, 13, 4, (303-307), (2012).
- Clément Zanolli, Luca Bondioli, Lucia Mancini, Arnaud Mazurier, Harry Widianto and Roberto Macchiarelli, Brief communication: Two human fossil deciduous molars from the sangiran dome (Java, Indonesia): Outer and inner morphology, American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 147, 3, (472-481), (2012).
- Juan Luis Arsuaga, Josep Fernández Peris, Ana Gracia-Téllez, Rolf Quam, José Miguel Carretero, Virginia Barciela González, Ruth Blasco, Felipe Cuartero and Pablo Sañudo, Fossil human remains from Bolomor Cave (Valencia, Spain), Journal of Human Evolution, 62, 5, (629), (2012).
- S.E. Freidline, P. Gunz, I. Janković, K. Harvati and J.J. Hublin, A comprehensive morphometric analysis of the frontal and zygomatic bone of the Zuttiyeh fossil from Israel, Journal of Human Evolution, 62, 2, (225), (2012).
- J. -L. Voisin, Les caractères discrets des membres supérieurs : un essai de synthèse des donnéesNon-metric traits in upper limbs: a data synthesis, Bulletins et mémoires de la Société d'anthropologie de Paris, 10.1007/s13219-011-0050-2, 24, 3-4, (107-130), (2011).
- Jürgen Richter, Thomas Hauck, Ralf Vogelsang, Thomas Widlok, Jean-Marie Le Tensorer and Peter Schmid, “Contextual areas” of early Homo sapiens and their significance for human dispersal from Africa into Eurasia between 200 ka and 70 ka, Quaternary International, 274, (5), (2012).
- A.P. Derevianko, The origin of anatomically modern humans and their behavior in africa and eurasia, Archaeology, Ethnology and Anthropology of Eurasia, 39, 3, (2), (2011).
- Ron Shimelmitz, Ran Barkai and Avi Gopher, Systematic blade production at late Lower Paleolithic (400–200 kyr) Qesem Cave, Israel, Journal of Human Evolution, 61, 4, (458), (2011).
- Christopher Wills, Genetic and Phenotypic Consequences of Introgression Between Humans and Neanderthals, , 10.1016/B978-0-12-386481-9.00002-X, (27-54), (2011).
- Avi Gopher and Ran Barkai, Sitting on the tailing piles: creating extraction landscapes in Middle Pleistocene quarry complexes in the Levant, World Archaeology, 43, 2, (211), (2011).
- Miki Ben-Dor, Avi Gopher, Israel Hershkovitz, Ran Barkai and Fred H. Smith, Man the Fat Hunter: The Demise of Homo erectus and the Emergence of a New Hominin Lineage in the Middle Pleistocene (ca. 400 kyr) Levant, PLoS ONE, 6, 12, (e28689), (2011).
