A complete human pelvis from the Middle Pleistocene of Spain

Citation
Jl. Arsuaga et al., A complete human pelvis from the Middle Pleistocene of Spain, NATURE, 399(6733), 1999, pp. 255-258
Citations number
23
Categorie Soggetti
Multidisciplinary,Multidisciplinary,Multidisciplinary
Journal title
NATURE
ISSN journal
00280836 → ACNP
Volume
399
Issue
6733
Year of publication
1999
Pages
255 - 258
Database
ISI
SICI code
0028-0836(19990520)399:6733<255:ACHPFT>2.0.ZU;2-X
Abstract
The Middle Pleistocene site of Sima de los Huesos in Sierra de Atapuerca, S pain, has yielded around 2,500 fossils from at least 33 different hominid i ndividuals'. These have been dated at more than 200,000 years ago(2-4) and have been classified as ancestors of Neanderthals(5,6), An almost complete human male pelvis (labelled Pelvis 1) has been found, which we associate wi th two fragmentary femora. Pelvis 1 is robust and very broad with avery lon g superior pubic ramus, marked iliac flare, and a long femoral neck. This p attern is probably the primitive condition from which modern humans departe d. A modern human newborn would pass through the birth canal of Pelvis 1 an d this would be even larger in a female individual. We estimate the body ma ss of this individual at 95 kg or more. Using the cranial capacities of thr ee specimens from Sima de los Huesos, the encephalization quotients are sub stantially smaller than in Neanderthals and modern humans.