Premium
New data on the late Neandertals: Direct dating of the Belgian Spy fossils
Author(s) -
Semal Patrick,
Rougier Hélène,
Crevecoeur Isabelle,
Jungels Cécile,
Flas Damien,
Hauzeur Anne,
Maureille Bruno,
Germonpré Mietje,
Bocherens Hervé,
Pirson Stéphane,
Cammaert Laurence,
De Clerck Nora,
Hambucken Anne,
Higham Thomas,
Toussaint Michel,
van der Plicht Johannes
Publication year - 2009
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.20954
Subject(s) - upper paleolithic , middle paleolithic , period (music) , paleontology , fossil record , hominidae , geography , archaeology , geology , biology , biological evolution , pleistocene , art , genetics , aesthetics
In Eurasia, the period between 40,000 and 30,000 BP saw the replacement of Neandertals by anatomically modern humans (AMH) during and after the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition. The human fossil record for this period is very poorly defined with no overlap between Neandertals and AMH on the basis of direct dates. Four new 14 C dates were obtained on the two adult Neandertals from Spy (Belgium). The results show that Neandertals survived to at least ≈36,000 BP in Belgium and that the Spy fossils may be associated to the Lincombian–Ranisian–Jerzmanowician, a transitional techno‐complex defined in northwest Europe and recognized in the Spy collections. The new data suggest that hypotheses other than Neandertal acculturation by AMH may be considered in this part of Europe. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.