Early modern human cranial remains from the Peştera cu Oase, Romania.

摘要: In February 2002, during speleological exploration of a karstic system in the southwestern Carpathian Mountains, Stefan Milota, Adrian Bilgar and Laurentiu Sarcina discovered previously unknown chamber with abundant remains Ursus spelaeus, occasional other mammalian skeletal elements, largely complete human mandible on paleosurface. The was designated Pestera cu Oase (Cave Bones) 1 (Trinkaus et al., 2003). site served primarily as hibernation for Late Pleistocene cave bear, but presence several unusual arrangements bear remains, including placement raised rocks, indicates some involvement accumulated deposits. directly C AMS dated to >35,200 years BP (OxA-11711) 34,290, +970, 870 (GrA-22810), which together provide finite age 34,950, +990, 890 Since has distinctive modern feature, prominent tuber symphyseos, suite discrete traits overall proportions place it close European early humans among samples, this specimen is oldest known diagnostic fossil from Europe. From location Iron Gates Danubian corridor, may represent one earliest populations context, note that exhibits very wide ramus, unilateral lingular bridging mandibular foramen, particular, exceptionally large distal molars It therefore combines derived morphology archaic Homo features and, possibly, Neandertal trait. * Corresponding author. Tel./fax: +1-314-935-5207 E-mail addresses: trinkaus@artsci.wustl.edu (E. Trinkaus), deepfane@hotmail.com (Ş. Milota), ricardo.cnans@ipa.min-cultura.pt (R. Rodrigo), mirceagherase@xsportsnet.org (G. Mircea), oanamol@hasdeu.ubbcluj.ro (O. Moldovan). Journal Human Evolution 45 (2003) 245–253