Post by archaeologist on Sept 14, 2024 2:34:05 GMT -5
One well known human fossil from the upper paleolithic is the Kostenki 14 individual from Markina Gora in Russia. It was first exavated in 1954. Based on the skull the famous Soviet anthropologist M.M. Gerasimov made a classical reconstruction of the face of the man It was also claimed that his skull had southern, tropical traits that had similarities with skulls from Papuans and Melanesians or maybe Africans.
A reassessment of the skull and a genetic analysis have led to a questioning of the earlier given affinity. This was expressed in a 2017 article:
Moiseev, V.G 2017: The Upper Paleolithic man from Markina Gora: Morphology vs. genetics?
The article led to some debate, among others in a couple of blogs:
Kostenki14: morphologically Caucasoid - Eurogenes Blog
Kostenki-14's Craniofacial Morphology - Anthromadness blogspot
A reassessment of the skull and a genetic analysis have led to a questioning of the earlier given affinity. This was expressed in a 2017 article:
"Abstract
The latest results of anthropological studies of bone remains from the earliest Upper Paleolithic burial discovered on Russian territory, the Markina Gora site (Kostenki 14), are described. Multivariate statistical methods and parallel studies of the buried skull structure and dentition established that their morphological characteristics undoubtedly belonged to the Caucasian complex. In combination with paleogenetic data, the findings contradict the earlier hypothesis of the southern origin of the Kostenki 14 individual and its similarity to the population of the Australo-Melanesian region."
The latest results of anthropological studies of bone remains from the earliest Upper Paleolithic burial discovered on Russian territory, the Markina Gora site (Kostenki 14), are described. Multivariate statistical methods and parallel studies of the buried skull structure and dentition established that their morphological characteristics undoubtedly belonged to the Caucasian complex. In combination with paleogenetic data, the findings contradict the earlier hypothesis of the southern origin of the Kostenki 14 individual and its similarity to the population of the Australo-Melanesian region."
Moiseev, V.G 2017: The Upper Paleolithic man from Markina Gora: Morphology vs. genetics?
The article led to some debate, among others in a couple of blogs:
Kostenki14: morphologically Caucasoid - Eurogenes Blog
Kostenki-14's Craniofacial Morphology - Anthromadness blogspot
The Kostenki 14 skull
Reconstruction by M M Gerasimov