以色列特拉维夫大学Israel Hershkovitz等研究人员合作发现来自以色列的中更新世人类。该研究于2021年6月25日发表于国际一流学术期刊《科学》。

研究人员报告了最近在以色列Nesher Ramla遗址发现的古代人化石，可以将其追溯到140,000到120,000年前。对顶骨、下颌骨和下第二磨牙的综合定性和定量分析表明，这个人类群体呈现出尼安德特人和古代特征的独特组合。研究人员认为这些标本代表了Levantine中更新世古生物群的晚期幸存者，其最有可能参与了欧洲和东亚中更新世人类的进化。

据悉，长期以来，人们一直认为尼安德特人起源于欧洲大陆并蓬勃发展。然而，最近的形态学和遗传学研究表明，它们可能受到了一个未知的非欧洲群体的遗传贡献。

附：英文原文

Title: A Middle Pleistocene Homo from Nesher Ramla, Israel

Author: Israel Hershkovitz, Hila May, Rachel Sarig, Ariel Pokhojaev, Dominique Grimaud-Hervé, Emiliano Bruner, Cinzia Fornai, Rolf Quam, Juan Luis Arsuaga, Viktoria A. Krenn, Maria Martinón-Torres, José María Bermúdez de Castro, Laura Martín-Francés, Viviane Slon, Lou Albessard-Ball, Amélie Vialet, Tim Schüler, Giorgio Manzi, Antonio Profico, Fabio Di Vincenzo, Gerhard W. Weber, Yossi Zaidner

Issue&Volume: 2021/06/25

Abstract: It has long been believed that Neanderthals originated and flourished on the European continent. However, recent morphological and genetic studies have suggested that they may have received a genetic contribution from a yet unknown non-European group. Here we report on the recent discovery of archaic Homo fossils from the site of Nesher Ramla, Israel, which we dated to 140,000 to 120,000 years ago. Comprehensive qualitative and quantitative analyses of the parietal bones, mandible, and lower second molar revealed that this Homo group presents a distinctive combination of Neanderthal and archaic features. We suggest that these specimens represent the late survivors of a Levantine Middle Pleistocene paleodeme that was most likely involved in the evolution of the Middle Pleistocene Homo in Europe and East Asia.

DOI: 10.1126/science.abh3169

Source: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/372/6549/1424