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Initial Upper Palaeolithic Homo sapiens from Bacho Kiro Cave, Bulgaria
Jean-Jacques Hublin1,2, Nikolay Sirakov3, Vera Aldeias4
1Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany. hublin@eva.mpg.de.
Nature
|May 21, 2020
Summary
Early Homo sapiens in Europe predated Neanderthals, evidenced by human remains and artifacts from Bacho Kiro Cave, Bulgaria. This discovery suggests Homo sapiens arrived before 45,000 years ago, interacting with Neanderthal populations.
Area of Science:
- Paleoanthropology
- Archaeology
- Genetics
Background:
- The transition from the Middle to the Upper Palaeolithic in Europe involved the replacement of Neanderthals by Homo sapiens.
- The precise timing and nature of interactions between these hominin groups remain debated.
- Understanding regional variations in this process is crucial for reconstructing early human history.
Observation:
- Human remains associated with Initial Upper Palaeolithic artifacts were discovered at Bacho Kiro Cave, Bulgaria.
- Direct dating of these remains places them before 45,000 years ago.
- Artifacts include bone pendants, similar to those later found with Neanderthals.
Findings:
- Morphological and proteomic analyses identified the human remains as Homo sapiens.
- Mitochondil DNA confirms the presence of Homo sapiens in Eurasia before 45,000 years ago.
- The findings link the spread of Initial Upper Palaeolithic technologies to the expansion of Homo sapiens.
Implications:
- This study provides direct evidence for early Homo sapiens presence in mid-latitude Eurasia.
- The findings support models of multiple waves of Homo sapiens arrival in Europe.
- The presence of similar artifacts suggests potential cultural interactions between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals.
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