6533b836fe1ef96bd12a09ea

RESEARCH PRODUCT

The Neanderthalian molar from Hunas, Germany

Ludwig ReischW. RosendahlH. VogelB. KaulichKurt W. Alt

subject

MolarNeanderthalmedicine.medical_treatmentStalagmiteCrown (dentistry)Dental OcclusionPaleontologystomatognathic systemCaveGermanybiology.animalmedicineAnimalsHumansSequence stratigraphyTooth RootDental EnamelHistory AncientPaleodontologyTooth Crowngeographygeography.geographical_feature_categoryEnamel paintbiologyFossilsHominidaeMousterianTooth AttritionMolarstomatognathic diseasesAnthropologyvisual_artvisual_art.visual_art_mediumAge Determination by TeethGeology

description

Abstract In this paper, we present a well-preserved isolated human molar found in 1986 in the Hunas cave ruin, south-east Bavaria. The tooth was located at the bottom of layer F2, which belongs to a long stratigraphic sequence comprising faunal remains as well as archaeological levels (Mousterian). A stalagmite from layer P at the base of the stratigraphic sequence was recently dated to 79.373±8.237 ka (base) and 76.872±9.686 ka (tip) by TIMS-U/Th (Stanford University). We identified the tooth as a right (possibly third) mandibular molar. Characteristic parameters such as crown and root morphology, fissure pattern, enamel thickness, occlusal and interproximal wear, dental dimensions and indices, and radiological features indicate that the Hunas molar represents the tooth of a Neanderthal. This is corroborated by both the palaeontological and archaeological findings (Mousterian) of layer F2.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2005-11-20HOMO
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jchb.2006.03.002