Neanderthal-modern human hybrid not supported (12/3/2007)

The Cioclovina cranium (upper left corner). Scan of a modern human (upper right and lower row) showing the 3-dimensional shape of measurements in the yellow (points and outlines) used in the study - Credit Maximilian Von Harling

Among the earliest reliably dated modern human fossils from Europe is the Cioclovina calvaria from Romania. This individual lived about 28-29 thousand years before present, and has recently been argued to represent a Neanderthal-modern human hybrid.

In an article appearing online at the Journal of Human Evolution, a team of researchers from the Max Plack Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Germany, and the University of Bucharest, Romania, conducted the most comprehensive anatomical description of the specimen to date and 3-d comparative shape analysis. They reject the hypothesis that the Cioclovina speciment is a Neanderthal-early modern human hybrid.

"Cioclovina does not conform to any of our expectations for a Neanderthal-early modern human hybrid either in its overall shape or its anatomical details. It is a typical modern human in all respects." Said leader of the research team Katerina Harvati (Max Plack Institute)

The team was able for the first time to develop criteria for identifying hybrids in the fossil record, based on evidence from living hybridizing primate and mammal species. These criteria (such as the much greater or much smaller size than the parental species average, evidence for development instability, and the intermediate shape) were then applied to Cioclovina, in order to test the proposal that it represents a Neanderthal-modern human mybrid.

Modern human cranial shape (blue) compared to the Neanderthal cranial shape (red). Yellow points indicate the 3-dimensional shapre measurements used in the study - Credit Maximilian von Harling

Contrary to recent claimes, Cioclovina did not show any of the expercted hybrid conditions. Instead both its overall detailed anatomy are very close to average for modern humans. The cranium in fact showed strong morphological similarities to other early modern Europeans.

"We feel that this morphology was probably representative of early modern people who migrated out of Africa around 40 thousand years ago and were the ancestors of people living today" concludes Harvati

The study was conducted by:

• Katerina Harvati (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany)
  
  
• Philipp Gunx (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany)
  
  
• Dan Grigorescu (University of Bucharest, Romania)

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

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