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Los estudios de ADN antiguo están permitiendo conocer nuevos datos sobre la biología de especies actuales y extintas. Las técnicas de ADN antiguo pueden ser una herramienta adicional y complementaria dentro de los estudios multidisciplinares que son necesarios para abordar distintas problemáticas arqueopaleontológicas. En este artículo repasamos algunas de las aplicaciones en estos contextos: la determinación taxonómica y sexual, los estudios para conocer el proceso de domesticación, o la estructura filogeográfica durante ciclos glaciares subrayando la existencia o no de refugios glaciares. También proporcionamos información preliminar referente a la aplicación de estas técnicas en el yacimiento de Arlanpe (Lemoa, Bizkaia). En este yacimiento hemos obtenido ADN mitocondrial de muestras de oso pardo, gran bóvido y cabra montés. Una de las muestras de oso pardo de Arlanpe está dentro del clado 3c compuesto de osos pardos extintos de Alaska. Dos de las muestras de gran bóvido de Arlanpe han sido clasificadas como uro (Bos primigenius) mediante métodos genéticos.

Las cuevas de Búho y Zarzamora (Segovia, España) son dos pequeños conductos kárstico, con entradas contiguas, desarrollados en las calizas cretácicas que afloran al norte del Sistema Central, en la zona de transición entre el piedemonte cristalino del paleozoico y la meseta terciaria de la cuenca del Duero. Los rellenos de estas cavidades han sido excavados en 1988-1990 y 2008-2010 y asignados al Pleistoceno superior. El origen de la acumulación de restos óseos en estas cuevas se interpreta como producto de la actividad de las hienas. El predominio de dos especies de équidos en la asociación de macrovertebrados sugiere ambientes abiertos. Hasta la fecha se han recuperado mas de 80 restos de bovino. La anatomía de los géneros Bos y Bison es muy similar, por lo que la distinción entre ellos es difícil. A falta de terceros molares inferiores, vértebras cervicales y cráneos, la asignación taxonómica se ha basado en elementos apendiculares ; astrágalo, tibia, metatarso y calcáneo. Se identifican 6 restos de Bison priscus que corresponden a 2 individuos y otros 9 restos de Bos primigenius que pertenecen a un mínimo de 2 individuos. Este hallazgo constituye la primera prueba de la presencia de bisonte en la meseta castellana para esta cronología.

Los espeleotemas constituyen uno de los principales registros para establecer secuencias evolutivas paleoclimáticas del Cuaternario. Además, en cavidades que presentan evidencias de ocupación humana registran los cambios ambientales producidos en el interior de las mismas como resultado de las actividades llevadas a cabo. La estalagmita llargi, procedente de la Galería de Estatuas (Atapuerca, Burgos) representa un archivo de los principales acontecimientos de los últimos 14 Ka de la historia de la cavidad, reflejados en la microestratigrafía, mineralogía y fábrica de crecimiento. La importante humana en el desarrollo de la estalagmita queda registrada en las láminas oscuras de calcita por la presencia de fragmentos de huesos y carbón, y ceniza.

A common assumption in the evolutionary scenario of the first Eurasian hominin populations is that they all had an African origin. This assumption also seems to apply for the Early and Middle Pleistocene populations, whose presence in Europe has been largely explained by a discontinuous flow of African emigrant waves. Only recently, some voices have speculated about the possibility of Asia being a center of speciation. However, no hard evidence has been presented to support this hypothesis. We present evidence from the most complete and up-to-date analysis of the hominin permanent dentition from Africa and Eurasia. The results show important morphological differences between the hominins found in both continents during the Pleistocene, suggesting that their evolutionary courses were relatively independent. We propose that the genetic impact of Asia in the colonization of Europe during the Early and Middle Pleistocene was stronger than that of Africa. Eurasia | teeth

We present a mandible recovered in 2003 from the Aurora Stratum of the TD6 level of the Gran Dolina site (Sierra de Atapuerca, northern Spain). The specimen, catalogued as ATD6-96, adds to the hominin sample recovered from this site in 1994-1996, and assigned to Homo antecessor. ATD6-96 is the left half of a gracile mandible belonging to a probably female adult individual with premolars and molars in place. This mandible shows a primitive structural pattern shared with all African and Asian Homo species. However, it is small and exhibits a remarkable gracility, a trait shared only with the Early and Middle Pleistocene Chinese hominins. Furthermore, none of the mandibular features considered apomorphic in the European Middle and Early Upper Pleistocene hominin lineage are present in ATD6-96. This evidence reinforces the taxonomic identity of H. antecessor and is consistent with the hypothesis of a close relationship between this species and Homo sapiens. human evolution

The study of life history evolution in hominids is crucial for the discernment of when and why humans have acquired our unique maturational pattern. Because the development of dentition is critically integrated into the life cycle in mammals, the determination of the time and pattern of dental development represents an appropriate method to infer changes in life history variables that occurred during hominid evolution. Here we present evidence derived from Lower Pleistocene human fossil remains recovered from the TD6 level (Aurora stratum) of the Gran Dolina site in the Sierra de Atapuerca, northern Spain. These hominids present a pattern of development similar to that of Homo sapiens, although some aspects (e.g., delayed M3 calcification) are not as derived as that of European populations and people of European origin. This evidence, taken together with the present knowledge of cranial capacity of these and other late Early Pleistocene hominids, supports the view that as early as 0.8 Ma at least one Homo species shared with modern humans a prolonged pattern of maturation.

Human fossil remains recovered from the TD6 level (Aurora stratum) of the lower Pleistocene cave site of Gran Dolina, Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain, exhibit a unique combination of cranial, mandibular, and dental traits and are suggested as a new species of Homo--H. antecessor sp. nov. The fully modern midfacial morphology of the fossils antedates other evidence of this feature by about 650,000 years. The midfacial and subnasal morphology of modern humans may be a retention of a juvenile pattern that was not yet present in H. ergaster. Homo antecessor may represent the last common ancestor for Neandertals and modern humans., Even though there is general agreement about the existence of an evolutionary continuity between the European middle Pleistocene hominids and the Neandertals, the origin of this lineage remains under discussion. [...]

Human remains dating to more than 780,000 years ago are associated with a rich faunal and lithic assemblage in the Pleistocene cave site of Gran Dolina (TD), Sierra de Atapuerca, [...]

It has been suggested that European Middle Pleistocene humans, Neandertals, and prehistoric modem humans had a greater sexual dimorphism than modern humans. Analysis of body size variation and cranial capacity variation in the large sample from the Sima de los Huesos site in Spain showed instead that the sexual dimorphism is comparable in Middle Pleistocene and modern populations., Sexual dimorphism is potentially a major source of size variation in a population[1, 2]. Most samples in the human paleontological record consist of specimens that span large chronologic and geographic [...]

Casts of nonocclusal enamel surfaces of 190 teeth from the Middle Pleistocene site of Sima de los Huesos have been micrographed by scanning electron microscopy. Microscopic analyses of striation density and length by orientation show distinct patterns of intrapopulation variability. Significant differences in the number and length of the striations by orientation are found between maxillary and mandibular teeth. This probably reflects differences in the mechanical forces involved in the process of chewing food. Significant differences are present between isolated and in situ teeth that could be caused by postdepositional processes differentially affecting the isolated teeth. In addition, a distinct and very unusual striation pattern is observed in a sample of teeth that can be explained only by a strong nondietary, most probably postmortem abrasion of the enamel surfaces. These teeth have a very high density of scratches, shorter in length than those found on other teeth, that are not indicative of dietary habits. No known depositional process may account for the presence of such postmortem wear since heavy transportation of materials within the clayish sediments has been discarded for the site. Despite this, a characteristic dietary striation pattern can be observed in most of the teeth analyzed. Most likely the diet of the Homo heidelbergensis hominids from Sima de los Huesos was highly abrasive, probably with a large dependence on hard, poorly processed plant foods, such as roots, stems, and seeds. A highly significant sex-related difference in the striation pattern can also be observed in the teeth analyzed, suggesting a differential consistency in the foods eaten by females and males. KEY WORDS buccal; enamel; striation; diet; Pleistocene; human