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Upper pleistocene human remains from Vindija cave, Croatia, Yugoslavia
Author(s) -
Wolpoff Milford H.,
Smith Fred H.,
Malez Mirko,
Radovčić Jakov,
Rukavina Darko
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.1330540407
Subject(s) - mousterian , upper paleolithic , middle paleolithic , pleistocene , cave , aurignacian , neanderthal , paleontology , geology , geography , archaeology
Human remains excavated from Vindija cave include a large although fragmentary sample of late Mousterian‐associated specimens and a few additional individuals from the overlying early Upper Paleolithic levels. The Mousterian‐associated sample is similar to European Neandertals from other regions. Compared with earlier Neandertals from south central Europe, this sample evinces evolutionary trends in the direction of Upper Paleolithic Europeans. Compared with the western European Neandertals, the same trends can be demonstrated, although the magnitude of difference is less, and there is a potential for confusing temporal with regional sources of variation. The early Upper Paleolithic‐associated sample cannot be distinguished from the Mousterian‐associated hominids. We believe that this site provides support for Hrdlička's “Neandertal phase” of human evolution, as it was originally applied in Europe.