DISCRETE TRAIT AND DENTAL MORPHOMETRIC AFFINITIES OF THE TABUN-2 MANDIBLE

Evolutionary scenarios of Near Eastern Middle Paleolithic hominids dep end to an extent upon whether the terminal Middle Pleistocene Tabun 2 mandible has its primary affinities with the late archaic (Neandertal sensu late) or early modern (Qafzeh-Skhul) human lineage in the region . Since the specimen has been assigned to each group or seen as bridgi ng them, we have re-examined its morphological affinities relative to these two samples, as well as to European samples of later Pleistocene hominids. This has been done with respect to posterior corporeal and ramal discrete traits, symphyseal morphology, and proportional morphom etric patterns along the dental arcade. Taking within and between samp le ranges of variation into account, the lateral corporeal and ramal d iscrete characters are either ambiguous or suggest Neandertal affiniti es Anterior symphyseal morphology is largely unknown, but a mentum oss eum is indicated by a moderate incisura mandibulare anterior, and the tuber symphyseos did not extend superiorly toward the alveoli, a non-m odern arrangement. The lingual symphysis presents the largest planum a lveolare known for a Near Eastern Middle Paleolithic hominid. Morphome tric analysis of proportions along the dental arcade separate Tabun 2 from Near Eastern and European early modern humans and place it among the late archaic humans. It is dentally closest to the Near Eastern la te archaic human lineage and the Krapina sample. These analyses theref ore indicate that it is best seen as part of the Near Eastern late arc haic human lineage with only the mentum osseum and incisure shape indi cating any approach to the Qafzeh-Skhul humans within the Near Eastern Middle Paleolithic. (C) 1998 Academic Press Limited.