The Neandertal nature of the Atapuerca Sima de los Huesos mandibles

Newly recovered mandibular fossils from the Atapuerca Sima de los Huesos (SH) site reveal a strong Neandertal affinity, with the expanded sample exhibiting nearly all derived Neandertal features. Comparative analysis shows that while the SH hominins share key morphological traits with Neandertals—such as midfacial prognathism and specific ramus configurations—they differ in aspects like the mandibular foramen placement and gonial margin shape. The study suggests that multiple evolutionary lineages coexisted during the European middle Pleistocene, with the SH fossils representing an early divergence of the Neandertal clade. Unlike the Mauer mandible (type specimen of Homo heidelbergensis), which lacks these derived features, the SH sample demonstrates a distinct phylogenetic pattern. This research provides critical evidence for a cladogenetic model of Neandertal evolution, reconciling competing theories on the emergence of Neandertal morphology.

Quam, R., Martínez, I., Rak, Y., Hylander, B., Pantoja, A., Lorenzo, C., Conde‐Valverde, M., Keeling, B., Ortega Martínez, M. C., & Arsuaga, J. L. (2023). The Neandertal nature of the Atapuerca Sima de los Huesos mandibles. The Anatomical Record, 307(7), 2343–2393. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.25190