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Modern humans have populated Europe for more than 45,000 years1,2. Our knowledge of the genetic relatedness and structure of ancient hunter-gatherers is however limited, owing to the scarceness and poor molecular preservation of human remains from that period3. Here we analyse 356 ancient hunter-gatherer genomes, including new genomic data for 116 individuals from 14 countries in western and central Eurasia, spanning between 35,000 and 5,000 years ago. We identify a genetic ancestry profile in individuals associated with Upper Palaeolithic Gravettian assemblages from western Europe that is distinct from contemporaneous groups related to this archaeological culture in central and southern Europe4, but resembles that of preceding individuals associated with the Aurignacian culture. This ancestry profile survived during the Last Glacial Maximum (25,000 to 19,000 years ago) in human populations from southwestern Europe associated with the Solutrean culture, and with the following Magdalenian culture that re-expanded northeastward after the Last Glacial Maximum. Conversely, we reveal a genetic turnover in southern Europe suggesting a local replacement of human groups around the time of the Last Glacial Maximum, accompanied by a north-to-south dispersal of populations associated with the Epigravettian culture. From at least 14,000 years ago, an ancestry related to this culture spread from the south across the rest of Europe, largely replacing the Magdalenian-associated gene pool. After a period of limited admixture that spanned the beginning of the Mesolithic, we find genetic interactions between western and eastern European hunter-gatherers, who were also characterized by marked differences in phenotypically relevant variants. Ancient DNA data generation Before the LGM LGM in southwestern and western Europe Post-LGM in the Italian peninsula Post-LGM in western and central Europe Post-14 ka to Neolithic Phenotypically relevant variants Discussion and conclusions Methods

A 3800 year-long radiocarbon-dated and highly-resolved palaeoecological record from Lake Fimon (N-Italy) served to investigate the effects of potential teleconnections between North Atlantic and mid-to-low latitudes at the transition from Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 to 2. Boreal ecosystems documented in the Fimon record reacted in a sensitive way to millennial and sub-millennial scale Northern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation patterns. The high median time-resolution of 58 years allows the identification of five abrupt event-boundaries (i.e., main forest expansion and decline excursions) synchronous with the sharp stadial/interstadial (GS/GI) transitions within dating uncertainties. During Heinrich Stadial 3 (HS 3) we reconstruct more open and dry conditions, compared to the other GS, with a dominant regional scale fire signal. Linkages between local fires and climate-driven fuel changes resulted in high-magnitude fire peaks close to GI/GS boundaries, even exacerbated by local peatland conditions. Finally, palaeoecological data from the HS 3 interval unveiled an internal variability suggesting a peak between 30,425 and 29,772 cal BP (2σ error) which matches more depleted δ18O values in alpine speleothems. We hypothesise that this signal, broadly resembling that of other mid-latitudes proxies, may be attributed to the southward shift of the Northern Hemisphere storm tracks and the associated delayed iceberg discharge events as documented during other HS.

Fil: Menendez, Lumila Paula. Konrad Lorenz Institute; Austria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas; Argentina

Sulle colline dell’entroterra marchigiano, in prossimità dell’attuale città di Ostra Vetere, in provincia di Ancona, sorgono le rovine della città romana di Ostra antica. Situata su un ampio terrazzo alluvionale del fondovalle, alla sinistra del fiume Misa (l’antico fiume Sena), la cui valle rientrava in un sistema di collegamento tra il versante adriatico e quello tirrenico, che dunque metteva questo settore in diretto contatto con Roma, la città di Ostra rivestiva una valenza strategica di primaria importanza. Ed è proprio a causa della sua posizione geograficamente vantaggiosa che ben presto Ostra divenne territorio romano, praefectura prima e municipium in seguito (Dall’Aglio et alii 2014). Le campagne archeologiche condotte in questo sito, oggi denominato “Le Muracce”, dalla Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici delle Marche tra il 1985 e il 1990, e riprese dall’Università di Bologna dal 2006, sotto la direzione di Pier Luigi Dall’Aglio, hanno portato alla luce una serie di edifici, datati tra il III secolo a.C. e il V secolo d.C., che si affacciavano sull’area forense. Tra il VI e il VII secolo queste strutture vennero abbandonate e i pavimenti, i lastricati e le fosse di spoliazione furono utilizzati come piano deposizionale per un cospicuo numero di sepolture che andarono a costituire una vera e propria area cimiteriale, sfruttata dal tardoantico all’altomedioevo (Dall’Aglio et alii 2014; Dall’Aglio, Franceschelli, TassSSinari 2014b) (Fig. 1). I resti scheletrici degli inumati recuperati dalla suddetta area cimiteriale sono stati oggetto di uno studio archeo-antropologico, svolto presso il Laboratorio di Antropologia fisica del Dipartimento di Beni Culturali dell’Università di Bologna (Campus di Ravenna), che ha avuto lo scopo di ricostruire le caratteristiche antropologiche, la struttura demografica, le condizioni di vita e di salute degli abitanti della città tardoantica di Ostra, anche in un quadro comparativo con altre comunità del medesimo territorio.

The primate talus is known to have a shape that varies according to differences in locomotion and substrate use. While the human (Homo sapiens) talus is morphologically specialized for bipedal walking, relatively little is known how its morphology varies in relation to cultural and behavioral differences across time3. Here, we investigate differences in external and internal structure of 142 tali belonging to modern human populations with different levels of mobility (e.g., sedentary vs. nomadic), shoes (e.g., unshod/minimally shod vs. stiff footwear) and substrate use (e.g., asphalt vs. rough terrain). External talar morphology was investigated through 3D landmark-based geometric morphometric methods. Individuals were Procrustes superimposed (GPA) and then Procrustes coordinates were subject to Principal Component Analysis based on the group mean covariance. ANOVA Post Hoc test was carried out to identify group differences while Procrustes ANOVA was performed to assess effects of shape variation due to footwear, substrate and levels of mobility. Moreover, a subsample was selected for whole bone trabecular analysis for evaluating bone volume fraction (BV/TV), degree of anisotropy (DA) and elastic modulus (E). Our results show significant differences in both external and internal talar morphology between more sedentary groups (farmers and post-industrial individuals) and highly mobile hunter-gatherers. Morphological traits suggest that hunter-gatherers exhibit a more “flexible” talar shape providing broad range of joint motion while walking barefoot, or wearing minimalistic footwear, along uneven ground. Contrary, post-industrial people/farmers show a more “stable” profile reducing extensive foot motion by remaining constricted by the shoe. Differences in trabecular density and elastic modulus reflect a gracilization in sedentary people likely due to a decrease in daily physical activity, while talar robusticity in hunter-gatherers reflect highly mobility and distances travelled. This study points out that the modern human talus varies according to differences in mobility strategy.

Methods for age estimation in juvenile osteological samples are highly accurate compared to those of adults, but little is known about the variation of the foot bones during growth. This study explores the age-related morphological changes of the calcaneus, which is often well preserved even in the case of multiple or damaged burials, using Geometric Morphometric Methods. A sample of 33 modern human juvenile calcanei (known age/sex= 22; unknown sex/age= 11) was 3D scanned using an Artec3D Space Scanner. 5 age categories (0-15 years) were defined; unknown sex/age specimens were classified as ND. A template of 15 landmarks and 209 semi-landmarks was applied to the digital models. The (semi)landmark configurations were superimposed by Generalized Procrustes Analysis. A form space Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was computed using the known sample to explore variation during growth, while ND specimens were projected within it. The analysis shows that PC1 (ca. 93%) is highly correlated with size and accounts for ontogenetic allometry. Negative scores (youngest individuals) are characterized by a compact morphology while positive scores (oldest individuals) show both a greater definition of the sustentaculum talii and sinus tarsii and more pronounced edges for the talar and cuboid articular facets. The projected sample follows the trajectory of the known sample, which means that our ND specimens can be aged in the 5 categories after being projected. Our results suggest that age-related morphological changes of the calcaneus during growth may be used to estimate the general age of juvenile skeletal remains.

Age estimation is a fundamental aspect in juvenile osteological studies and, as such, there are many methods that rely on ontogenetic-related changes to bone morphology. The talus, being a small and compact bone, is generally well preserved in archaeological contexts, but little is known about its morphological trajectory during growth. To better nderstand this we apply a (semi)landmark-based approach to an ontogenetic sample of 26 modern human juvenile tali (known age/sex = 12; unknown age/sex = 14), grouped by 5 age categories ranging from 0 to 15 years. A template of 11 landmarks and 205 semilandmarks were applied to 26 microCT-based digital models of the juvenile tali. These were superimposed by Generalized Procrustes Analysis with the semilandmarks freely sliding against recursive updates of the Procrustes consensus. Finally, individuals of unknown age/sex were projected into the form-space determined from a Principal Component Analysis of the known sample. Our results show that most of the morphometric variation is explained by PC1 (⁓91%), which is highly correlated with size and accounts for ontogenetic allometry. Negative scores (i.e., youngest) are related to a small and globular morphology. The positive scores (i.e., oldest) account for an elongation of the talar body, which is mainly related to the development of the neck and growth of the lateral malleolar facet. Overall, our preliminary results suggest that age-related morphological variations of the talus may be used to determine the general age of juvenile skeletal remains, which could be valuable to many archaeological and forensic researchers.

This paper summarizes the current state of knowledge about the millennial scale climate variability characterizing Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3) in S-Europe and the Mediterranean area and its effects on terrestrial ecosystems. The sequence of Dansgaard-Oeschger events, as recorded by Greenland ice cores and recognizable in isotope profiles from speleothems and high-resolution palaeoecological records, led to dramatic variations in glacier extent and sea level configuration with major impacts on the physiography and vegetation patterns, both latitudinally and altitudinally. The recurrent succession of (open) woodlands, including temperate taxa, and grasslands with xerophytic elements, have been tentatively correlated to GIs in Greenland ice cores. Concerning colder phases, the Greenland Stadials (GSs) related to Heinrich events (HEs) appear to have a more pronounced effect than other GSs on woodland withdrawal and xerophytes expansion. Notably, GS 9-HE4 phase corresponds to the most severe reduction of tree cover in a number of Mediterranean records. On a long-term scale, a reduction/opening of forests throughout MIS 3 started from Greenland Interstadials (GIs) 14/13 (ca. 55–48 ka), which show a maximum in woodland density. At that time, natural environments were favourable for Anatomically Modern Humans (AMHs) to migrate from Africa into Europe as documented by industries associated with modern hominin remains in the Levant. Afterwards, a variety of early Upper Palaeolithic cultures emerged (e.g., Uluzzian and Proto-Aurignacian). In this chronostratigraphic framework, attention is paid to the Campanian Ignimbrite tephra marker, as a pivotal tool for deciphering and correlating several temporal-spatial issues crucial for understanding the interaction between AMHs and Neandertals at the time of the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition.

Introduction to the Special Issue "Peopling dynamics in the Mediterranean area between 45 and 39 ky ago: state of art and new data", Quaternary International, 551, 1-6 pp. in the framework of the European Research Council, ERC CoG no. 724046 SUCCESS (awarded to S. Benazzi; website: http://www.erc-success.eu).

The human talus, being located between the lower limb and foot, plays an essential role in distributing the weight of the body during locomotion. One of its most important functions during this process is in allowing for foot movements while efficiently dividing weight between its anterior and posterior portions, where it articulates with the navicular and calcaneus, respectively [1]. As such, the talus plays a pivotal role in the different stages of human locomotion, from crawling, to initial bipedal acquisition, to full striding bipedalism at age 8 [1]. Unfortunately, little is known about the morphological changes of the talus during the first years of life, when infants acquire upright posture and gait maturation. Using a (semi)landmark based approach we analyse an ontogenetic sample of modern human tali with the aim of exploring the morphological variation of the talus during growth. From this we assess if the variation may then be related to the acquisition and transition to full bipedal locomotion, which might ultimately provide insight into the evolution of hominin bipedalism. The sample consists of 21 juvenile tali aged between 1.5 years and 11 years: 12 individuals from the Collection of Bologna, Italy (sex and age at death known) [2]; five from the archaeological sample of Roccapelago (Italy) [3]; four from the archaeological sample of Norris Farms #36 (Illinois, USA). All specimens were microCT scanned with a resolution of 20-40 µm. Avizo 9.3® (Visualization Sciences Group, SAS) was used to evaluate the quality of and pre-process the reconstructed scan data (e.g. crop or resample). Segmentation of the image data was performed using the MIA-clustering method [4] and then processed in Medtool 4.2 (Dr. Pahr Ingenieurs.e.U) to obtain 3D meshes of each talus. A template of 11 landmarks, 61 curve semilandmarks and 144 surface semilandmarks was created in Viewbox (dHAL Software) and applied to the 21 tali. The (semi)landmark configuration was superimposed by Generalized Procrustes Analysis, and semilandmarks were allowed to slide against recursive updates of the Procrustes consensus [5]. Finally, a form space Principal Component Analysis was carried out to explore talar shape variation during growth. Data were processed in R 3.4.3 (The R Foundation for Statistical Computing, 2017). The first three PCs explain 92.9% of the total variation. Most of the morphometric variation is explained by PC1 (89.8%), i.e. ontogenetic allometry, where negative scores account for small, sub-parallelepiped talar morphology (the youngest individuals), while positive scores account for an elongation of the entire body of the talus, due to the development of the neck, and a clear growth of the lateral malleolar facet, while the posterior side of the trochlear facet is not well defined yet. The anterior calcaneal facet is well developed since the youngest phases (negative scores), while the posterior calcaneal facet becomes larger, less triangular, and more concave towards PC1 positive. PC2 (1.7%) and PC3 (1.4%) describe only subtle morphological differences. Negative values of PC2 account for a longer lateral ridge, that shortens along positive values, due to the growth of the talar head, development of the neck, trochlea, and lateral malleolar facet, with a more concave aspect of the lateral side. It is also possible to discern a narrowing of the sulcus tali and a clear medial rotation of the talar head. PC3 negative scores show a more compact shape, that becomes higher along positive values with the development of the posterior calcaneal facet and head. This study is part of an ongoing project focusing on ontogenetic changes. Here we present preliminary results showing how external talar morphology varies during the early stages of human bipedalism. Future analyses will combine external morphological analyses with an assessment of trabecular bone architecture, thus providing a more holistic vision of these changes during development. Acknowledgements This project is funded by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 724046 - SUCCESS); website: http://www.erc-success.eu/. We are grateful to Dr Mirko Traversari for his willingness on the use of the Roccapelago sample. References: [1] Hellier, C.A., & Jeffery, N. 2006. Morphological plasticity in the juvenile talus. Foot and Ankle surgery, 12(3), 139-147. [2] Belcastro, M.G., Bonfiglioli, B., Pedrosi, M.E., Zuppello, M., Tanganelli, V., & Mariotti, V. 2017. The history and composition of the identified human skeletal collection of the Certosa Cemetery (Bologna, Italy, 19th‐20th century). International Journal of Osteoarchaeology. DOI: 10.1002/oa.2605 [3] Figus, C., Traversari M., Scalise L. M., Oxilia G., Vazzana A., Buti L., Sorrentino R., Gruppioni G., Benazzi, S. 2017. The study of commingled non-adult human remains: Insights from the 16th-18th centuries community of Roccapelago (Italy). Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 14:382-391 [4] Dunmore C.J., Wollny G., Skinner M.M. (2018) MIA-Clustering: a novel method for segmentation of paleontological material. PeerJ 6:e4374 [5] Rohlf, F.J., Slice, D. 1990. Extensions of the Procrustes method for the optimal superimposition of landmarks. Syst. Biol. 39, 40-59.

International audience; In this work, we explored the isotopic composition of faunal (rodents, rhinoceros and bison) and human skeletal remains from the Middle Pleistocene layers of Isernia la Pineta (Molise, Italy). We particularly focused on high spatial resolution isotope analyses of tooth enamel by laser ablation MC-ICP-MS for strontium isotopes and by micro-drilling sampling for oxygen isotopes. Results from bone specimens were compared with the isotope variability of modern plants collected in the area surrounding the site, in a radius of about 30 km. While the human group seems local, macro-mammals show a higher degree of mobility.

Durante l'ultimo periodo glaciale le calotte dell'emisfero Nord (ed anche l'ice field alpino) si sono più volte espanse e contratte assumendo configurazioni diverse (Ivy-Ochs et al., 2008; Lambeck et al., 2010; Monegato et al., 2017) e raggiungendo la massima estensione intorno a 22 mila anni fa (Hughes et al., 2016) durante l'Ultimo Massimo Glaciale (UMG). A queste maggiori oscillazioni climatiche e glaciali, si sono sovrapposte variazioni climatiche a scala millenaria: i cicli Dansgaard-Oescheger (DO cycles). Tale instabilità climatica, i cui picchi caldi e freddi sono detti, rispettivamente, Greenland Interstadials (GIs) e Greenland Stadials (GSs), è documentata a scala globale. Alla scala dell'emisfero boreale, record paleoclimatici ad alta risoluzione mostrano un marcato raffreddamento durante i GSs a cui sono associati Heinrich events (HEs) (Guillevic et al., 2014; Darfeuil et al., 2016). Per meglio comprendere i meccanismi che regolano tale variabilità climatica e le risposte degli ecosistemi terrestri agli HEs, verrà preso in considerazione il record pollinico del lago di Fimon all'interno della cerchia dei Colli Berici (Vicenza), che documenta la storia ambientale della Pianura Veneta e del margine prealpino a partire dalla Penultima Glaciazione (Pini et al. 2010). Nuove indagini stratigrafiche, geocronologiche e polliniche ad alta risoluzione (media di 1 campione/80-120 anni), hanno evidenziato fasi di apertura forestale con espansione di ecosistemi di semideserto a sud delle Alpi durante il MIS 3. In particolare, fra circa 27 e 35 mila anni fa, dati biostratigrafici e datazioni radiocarboniche restituiscono un robusto quadro cronologico per l'intervallo che precede, documenta e segue il GS 5.1-HE3 (30,6- 28,9 mila anni fa, cronologia GICC05, Rasmussen et al., 2014). Pinete dominate da Pinus sylvestris con betulla erano diffuse fra 35-30 mila anni fa nel settore prealpino sud-orientale. Il lago di Fimon era un bacino con acque poco profonde soggetto a oscillazioni del livello lacustre fino a 25505±99 anni fa (età 14C BP, median probability: 29599 anni cal BP), quando si sviluppa una torbiera a Cyperaceae che si mantiene per circa 2500 anni. All'inizio di questa fase, con un cambio centrato a circa 29,5 mila anni fa, le foreste subiscono una brusca contrazione (percentuali polliniche della componente arborea si riducono dal 70 al 30%), accompagnata dalla riduzione del segnale degli incendi a scala locale. Si espandono praterie (Gramineae, Asteraceae, Cichorioideae) con arbusti xerici e piante erbacee di ambiente steppico (Hippophae, Artemisia, Chenopodiaceae, Ephedra). Tale evento, di durata millenaria, può essere correlato alla fase freddo-arida dell'HE3, visibile in altri record pollinici continui in Nord Italia (Azzano decimo; Pini et al., 2009) e area mediterranea (Lago Grande di Monticchio, Tenaghi Philippon; Wulf et al., 2018). La fase successiva: interstadiali GI 4 e GI 3 (rispettivamente 28,9 e 27,78 mila anni fa, cronologia GICC05, Rasmussen et al., 2014), è caratterizzata da una nuova espansione di pinete con larice, betulla e ginepro, e dall'intensificazione di incendi a scala locale.

Archaeological information and paleoanthropological analysis align both teeth to Neanderthal. These results point out that the Broion and Roccia San Sebastiano teeth represent, along with the deciduous tooth Cavallo D (from the final Mousterian deposit of Grotta del Cavallo) [5], the most recent Neanderthal remains in Italy currently known.

This case report examines the differential diagnosis of an unusually fused chest belonging to a perinatal human remain retrieved in the crypt of Roccapelago (Italy). This specimen, which dated back to the final 18th century, showed a severe synostosis of the costovertebral articulations and posterior arches. The specimen was examined macroscopically and radiologically for the purpose of identify differences in mineral density. It also underwent computed tomography scan in order to create a 3D digital model and virtually reposition in anatomical position. The radiological trophism, size, and osteological maturity of the specimen are compatible with a perinate. The chest structure shows a characteristic crab like morphology, with the costovertebral articulations and some posterior arches completely fused. Accordingly, a diagnosis of Jarcho-Levin Syndrome has been suggested. This case appears to be the first report, to the knowledge of the authors, of a probable Jarcho-Levin syndrome, which dated before Jarcho and Levin codified this pathology in the scientific literature.

We obtained high-resolution elemental maps (pixel size ranging between 10 and 20 ?m) of the dental crown. - The two Roman teeth showed clear Pb variation through the crown, highly correlated with enamel growth trajectories, likely linked to lead environmental exposure during the individual's lifetime. - Individual SCR313: Pb peak at ~410 days, visible in both dentine and enamel. - Individual SCR249: low pre-natal Pb levels, that increase post-natally; a Pb peak coincides with the neonatal line. - We identified several areas in both enamel and dentine affected by post-depositional processes.

During the Upper Palaeolithic animal teeth were consistently used by Anatomically Modern Humans as ornamental and symbolic objects used to facilitate individual and group-level interaction. Two key Northeastern Italian sites, "Grotta di Fumane" (VR) and "Grotta del Broion" (VI) show that Cervus elaphus teeth were often used for this purpose. While Grotta di Fumane yielded evidence of red deer incisors with groovings on the root, Grotta del Broion testifies to the use of deer canines and a completely different techonological approach based on preparatory scraping and perforation by rotation. An in-detail description of these processes thanks to stereomicroscope and 3D digital microscope allowed us to uncover a pattern of regional variabiliy in tooth choice and alteration practices that may be linked to the adaptive strategies of Aurignacian and Gravettian hunter-gatherers of Northern Italy as well as to the emergence of a symbolic behaviour which is deeply rooteed in human culture.

The dispersal of the genus Homo out of Africa approximately 1.8 million years ago (Ma) has been understood within the context of changes in diet, behavior, and bipedal locomotor efficiency. While various morphological characteristics of the knee and ankle joints are considered part of a suite of traits indicative of, and functionally related to, habitual bipedal walking, the timing and phylogenetic details of these morphological changes remain unclear. To evaluate the timing of knee and ankle joint evolution, we apply geometric morphometric methods to three-dimensional digital models of the proximal and distal tibiae of fossil hominins, Holocene Homo sapiens, and extant great apes. Two sets of landmarks and curve semilandmarks were defined on each specimen. Because some fossils were incomplete, digital reconstructions were carried out independently to estimate missing landmarks and semilandmarks. Group shape variation was evaluated through shape–and form-space principal component analysis and fossil specimens were projected to assess variation in the morphological space computed from the extant comparative sample. We show that a derived proximal tibia (knee) similar to that seen in living H. sapiens evolved with early Homo at ∼2 Ma. In contrast, derived characteristics in the distal tibia appear later, probably with the arrival of Homo erectus. These results suggest a dissociation of the morphologies of the proximal and distal tibia, perhaps indicative of divergent functional demands and, consequently, selective pressures at these joints. It appears that longer distance dispersals that delivered the Dmanisi hominins to Georgia by 1.8 Ma and H. erectus to east–southeast Asia by 1.6 Ma were facilitated by the evolution of a morphologically derived knee complex comparable to that of recent humans and an ankle that was morphologically primitive. This research sets the foundation for additional paleontological, developmental, and functional research to better understand the mechanisms underlying the evolution of bipedalism.

Fossil evidence points to an African origin of Homo sapiens from a group called either H. heidelbergensis or H. rhodesiensis. However, the exact place and time of emergence of H. sapiens remain obscure because the fossil record is scarce and the chronological age of many key specimens remains uncertain. In particular, it is unclear whether the present day ‘modern’ morphology rapidly emerged approximately 200 thousand years ago (ka) among earlier representatives of H. sapiens1 or evolved gradually over the last 400 thousand years2. Here we report newly discovered human fossils from Jebel Irhoud, Morocco, and interpret the affinities of the hominins from this site with other archaic and recent human groups. We identified a mosaic of features including facial, mandibular and dental morphology that aligns the Jebel Irhoud material with early or recent anatomically modern humans and more primitive neurocranial and endocranial morphology. In combination with an age of 315 ± 34 thousand years (as determined by thermoluminescence dating)3, this evidence makes Jebel Irhoud the oldest and richest African Middle Stone Age hominin site that documents early stages of the H. sapiens clade in which key features of modern morphology were established. Furthermore, it shows that the evolutionary processes behind the emergence of H. sapiens involved the whole African continent.

La microcefalia è una patologia che si manifesta con una notevole riduzione della circonferenza cranica; essa può essere congenita o, più raramente, insorgere nei primi anni di vita dell’individuo, e porta comunemente a disordini neurologici e a deficit mentali. La sua comparsa viene solitamente attribuita ad anomalie genetiche (la cui incidenza può essere influenzata da condizioni di consanguineità) o a problemi della madre (alcolismo, infezioni, diabete, etc) che interferiscono con la normale crescita del cervello. Anche se casi di microcefalia sono stati documentati sporadicamente in popolazioni del passato (Brothwell e Powers, 1968; Dokládal e Horácková, 1994), la sua frequenza sembra essere stata notevolmente minore rispetto a quella che si osserva nelle popolazioni attuali (Aufderheide e Rodriguez-Martín, 1998), a meno che ciò non dipenda dai limiti intrinseci dei resti osteoarcheologici, la cui incompletezza e limitata consistenza numerica potrebbe comportare una sottostima della frequenza della patologia. Resta comunque il fatto che sono ancora molto scarse le conoscenze circa la ricorrenza, le tipologie e la eziopatogenesi della microcefalia nelle antiche popolazioni. Rivestono pertanto un certo interesse i due casi di microcefalia, datati al IV sec. a.C., rinvenuti a Roca Vecchia (Melendugno – Lecce) oggetto di questa comunicazione preliminare.

In base alle informazioni documentali e alle prospezioni con il georadar, sotto il pavimento della chiesa di S. Maria di Scandiano (R.E.), sono state localizzate le cripte sepolcrali nelle quali dovevano aver trovato sepoltura il poeta Matteo Maria Boiardo e alcuni membri della sua famiglia, fra cui il padre Giovanni e il nonno Feltrino, oltre forse alla moglie Taddea Gonzaga e ad uno dei figli, Camillo. L’esplorazione delle cripte sepolcrali ha consentito di recuperare resti scheletrici attribuibili complessivamente a non meno di 20 individui tra adulti e infanti, di cui 3 rinvenuti in una camera sepolcrale e i restanti in una tomba attigua. Fra i primi è stato identificato un individuo pienamente compatibile quanto a sesso, età di morte, robustezza corporea e statura con le caratteristiche fisiche del poeta Boiardo. A conferma della sua probabile identità, il profilo genetico di questo individuo, ottenuto dal DNA nucleare estratto dai suoi resti, si è rivelato compatibile secondo un possibile rapporto parentale figlio/padre con quello ottenuto da un reperto rinvenuto nella camera attigua che doveva ospitare il padre e il nonno del poeta. Nei resti di un secondo individuo, di sesso femminile e di età avanzata, con profilo genetico estraneo ai precedenti, potrebbe identificarsi la moglie del Boiardo. Quanto ai resti del terzo individuo, pur non potendo escludere trattarsi di Camillo, figlio del poeta morto in giovane età, non è stato per il momento possibile raccogliere prove che confermino questa ipotesi.

Die biologische Anthropologie erlebte in der letzten Dekade eine technologische Revolution. Neue Disziplinen wie die Virtuelle Anthropologie fördern die fächerübergreifende Zusammenarbeit und nutzen modernste Technologien wie Mikro-Computertomographie, statistische Gestalt- und Formanalysen und biomechanische Modellierungen. Die im Bereich der Hominidenevolution entwickelten Verfahren lassen sich in vielen anderen Forschungsfeldern nutzen, wodurch zukünftig verstärkte Kooperationen mit den medizinischen Wissenschaften wahrscheinlich werden. Zwei Beispiele erfolgreicher Innovationen werden hier beschrieben. Das erste erläutert die Entdeckung der ältesten europäischen modernen Menschen (Grotta del Cavallo, ~ 45.000 Jahre), die fälschlicherweise in den 1960er-Jahren als Neandertaler klassifiziert wurden. Die internen und externen morphologischen Strukturen zweier Milchzähne wurden mithilfe von Mikro-CT-Daten untersucht und mit jenen von modernen Menschen und Neandertalern verglichen. Die Cavallo-Individuen erwiesen sich dabei eindeutig als anatomisch moderne Menschen. Dieser Befund wirft auch ein neues Licht auf die Interpretation der begleitenden Artefakte und die Hersteller der Werkzeugkulturen. Das zweite Beispiel beschäftigt sich mit der ersten Simulation der Biomechanik von menschlichen Molaren, die realitätsnahe Parameter verwendet. Dabei werden 3D-Daten aus der Mikro-CT mit Analysen des individuellen Abkauungsmusters von Zähnen kombiniert, um die auftretenden Belastungen während des Kauvorgangs zu simulieren.