Osteometric analysis of the scapula and humerus of Rangifer tarandus and Cervus elaphus : A contribution to the discrimination of Late Pleistocene cervids

Fossil remains of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) occurring outside their present range are an important indicator of formerly cold climatic conditions, but are easily confused with those of the red deer (Cervus elaphus). The locality of Kiputz IX has yielded one of the best-preserved Late Pleistocene reindeer populations of the southern Pyrenees, occurring in association with Bison priscus and the much more abundant Cervus elaphus. Fossil remains from this site are mostly complete and not affected by human intervention, thus creating the perfect conditions for reliable osteometric analyses. Here, we quantify diagnostic morphological features of the scapula and the humerus of Cervus elaphus and Rangifer tarandus to establish the potential of these bones to aid in interspecific discrimination. In the case of the scapula, the best species discriminator is the ratio of the minimum anteroposterior diameter of the scapular neck and the development of the articular process, while the breadth of the trochlea is the best discriminator in the case of the humerus.

Lethal Interpersonal Violence in the Middle Pleistocene

Evidence of interpersonal violence has been documented previously in Pleistocene members of the genus Homo, but only very rarely has this been posited as the possible manner of death. Here we report the earliest evidence of lethal interpersonal violence in the hominin fossil record. Cranium 17 recovered from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site shows two clear perimortem depression fractures on the frontal bone, interpreted as being produced by two episodes of localized blunt force trauma. The type of injuries, their location, the strong similarity of the fractures in shape and size, and the different orientations and implied trajectories of the two fractures suggest they were produced with the same object in face-to-face interpersonal conflict. Given that either of the two traumatic events was likely lethal, the presence of multiple blows implies an intention to kill. This finding shows that the lethal interpersonal violence is an ancient human behavior and has important implications for the accumulation of bodies at the site, supporting an anthropic origin.

Palaeoenvironmental analysis based on alluvial ostracod assemblages of the Cenicero section (lower Miocene, NW Ebro Basin)

In this work we perform for the first time a palaeoenvironmental and biostratigraphic analysis of the lower Miocene alluvial deposits of the Cenicero section (NW sector of the Ebro Basin; N Iberian Peninsula), based on the ostracod and micromammal assemblages. One of the main characteristics of this section is the unusual abundance on non-reworked ostracods present in the studied samples compared to other European sequences of similar age and sedimentary environment. This fact has allowed us to develop precise palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. The variations of the identified ostracod assemblages, defined by species such as Cyclocypris laevis, Ilyocypris bradyi, Ilyocypris gibba, Limnocythere sp. or Pseudocandona parallela, record the development of small, ephemeral and shallow ponds in a distal alluvial and/or floodplain environment. Towards the upper part of the section the ponds appear to be less ephemeral, being the aquatic systems more stable for ostracods development. Variations in the water temperature and salinity have been observed along the section, which are related to changes in the local pluviometric regime. On the other hand, the presence of micromammals in one of the studied samples has allowed the precise dating of this section. Thus, the presence of Armantomys daamsi dates the Cenicero section as Agenian (lower Miocene), local zone Y2 (MN2).