External geometry of Mladeč neurocrania compared with anatomically modern humans and neandertals

Abstract

Because of their age and their Central European location, the Upper Paleolithic Mladeč human remains (also known as "Lautsch") have played a central role in the discussion of modern human origins ever since the first work with them began in 1881 (Szombathy, 1925). The fossil material consists of more than 100 specimens from the large Main Cave (e.g., Mladeč 1 and 2) and from the Quarry Cave (e.g., Mladeč 5 and 6). Both sites seem to be accumulations of human remains that fell through chimneys or fissures into the karstic cave system (Frayer, 1986; Svoboda, 2000). The morphological differences of Mladeč 5 and 6 vs. 1 and 2 (interestingly each group originating from a different cave) are attributed to sexual dimorphism by most authors (Jelínek, 1983; Frayer, 1986; Wolpoff et al., this volume). In spite of substantial morphological variation within sex (Frayer, 1986), the specimens considered to be male (Mladeč 5 and 6) are very robust, with a low braincase, thick cranial bones, Neandertal-like occipital bunning, marked spongy bone development, thick projecting supraorbitals shaped differently than in Neandertals, and large cranial capacities, whereas the female specimens (Mladeč 1 and 2) are more gracile than the Mladeč males but robust nevertheless in comparison with recent Homo sapiens. Since 1900 (Anthropology-Congress Halle a. S., IX/1900), the Mladeč remains have been generally considered to be modern Homo sapiens ("Cro-Magnon race"; Szombathy, 1925) or, according to the discoverer, as "definitely belonging to the Homo sapiens fossilis" (ibid.). Most anthropologists today accept Mladeč as modern Homo sapiens, but the prominent supraorbitals, the welldeveloped occipital bun reminiscent of the Neandertal "chignon", and the distinct nuchal ridge have stimulated speculations about possible anatomical links to the Neandertals who preceded them. The relation of this assemblage (one of the earliest in Central Europe) to other groups of fossil hominids is crucial and likewise the question of hybridisation (Bräuer, 1980; Duarte et al., 1999; Tattersall and Schwartz, 1999) because of the chronological and regional overlapping of anatomically modern humans and Neandertals in Europe. That relation has therefore been the focus of diverse studies, including comparisons of gross morphology (Jelínek, 1951; Smith, 1982; Frayer, 1986; Bräuer and Broeg, 1998, Wolpoff et al., 2001; Frayer et al., this volume; Wolpoff et al., this volume) and of mtDNA (Serre et al., 2004) and new radiometric datings of hominid and faunal remains (Wild et al., 2005). Especially Mladeč 5 (see Fig. 1.) was described as Neandertal-like in several aspects by Smith (1982), Jelínek (1983), and Wolpoff (1999), and also as resembling Jebel Irhoud-like or archaic Homo (Stringer et al., 1984). Frayer (1986) saw Mladeč as "good evidence in support of the gradualist model," with "a greater number of archaic features shared with Neandertals" (see also Frayer et al., this volume). Others have reached quite opposite conclusions: for instance, Bräuer and Broeg (1998) via a non-metric analysis. Klein (2003), too, noted that the typical cranial traits of Neandertals preclude a major Neandertal contribution to living human populations. © 2006 Springer-Verlag/Wien. All rights are reserved.