Laura Rodríguez

• PhD
• Professor (Associate) at University of Leon

Objective This paper explores the various protocols for deriving endosteal and periosteal contours of the femoral midneck cross‐section in non‐adult individuals using EPmacroJ. Materials and Methods We analyzed femoral midneck cross‐sectional contours in a total sample of 55 femora belonging to medieval individuals ranging in age between 2 and 20...

This study investigates the morphological changes of the coracoid process and its metaphyseal surface at the glenoid-coracoid interface, aiming to characterize these transformations across different maturity stages. A total of 26 coracoid epiphyses and 48 coracoid metaphyses from a skeletal sample excavated at the medieval Dominican Convent of San...

Studies of modeling processes have provided important insights in human evolutionary discipline. Most of these studies are based on facial bones and in much lesser extent on other bones such as those from the cranial vault. Thus, this study fills a gap in research by examining occipital bone modeling in subadults, adding individuals under 2 years o...

Objectives The current research delves into the use of 3D geometric morphometric for assessing shifts in maturity within both the proximal and distal humeral metaphyses. It mainly focuses on establishing correlations between these shifts and the shape changes observed in the corresponding epiphyses established through radiographic imaging. Materia...

This research delves deeper into previous works on femoral cross‐sectional properties during ontogeny by focusing for the first time on the human femoral midneck. The ontogenetic pattern of cross‐sectional properties at femoral midneck is established and compared with those at three different femoral locations: the proximal femur, the midshaft, and...

We describe the shape variability of nine dog hemimandibles recovered from two Holocene archaeological sites on the Iberian Peninsula. In this study we mainly focus on the Chalcolithic age dog remains recovered from Barrio del Castillo (Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid), but also, make comparisons to dog specimens from El Portalón (Sierra de Atapuerca, Bu...

Caregiving for disabled individuals among Neanderthals has been known for a long time, and there is a debate about the implications of this behavior. Some authors believe that caregiving took place between individuals able to reciprocate the favor, while others argue that caregiving was produced by a feeling of compassion related to other highly ad...

En este trabajo, presentamos por primera vez el yacimiento de Salmedina 2 (Vallecas, Madrid) y el estudio de un pequeño équido, de los materiales óseos, cerámicos y líticos identificados en el Hoyo 17. Las dataciones radiométricas realizadas indican diferentes ocupaciones desde el Calcolítico (2632-2469 cal aC) hasta momentos altomedievales (774-66...

The analysis of the locomotor anatomy of Late Pleistocene Homo has largely focused on changes in proximal femur and pelvic morphologies, with much attention centered on the emergence of modern humans. Although much of the focus has been on changes in the proximal femur, some research has also been conducted on tibiae and, to a lesser extent, fibula...

The excellent fossil record from Sima de los Huesos (SH) includes three well‐known complete adult femora and several partial specimens that have not yet been published in detail. This fossil record provides an opportunity to analyze the morphology of European pre‐Neandertal adult femur and its variation with different evolution patterns. Currently,...

The analysis of the locomotor anatomy of Late Pleistocene Homo has largely focused on changes in proximal femur and pelvic morphologies, with much attention centered on the emergence of modern humans. Although much of the focus has been on changes in the proximal femur, some research has also been conducted on tibiae and, to a lesser extent, fibula...

The aim of this research is to analyse craniomandibular features in contemporary wolves and dogs in order to study evolutionary changes that are assumed to be related to domestication. We compared these modern canids with four fossils from different Upper Pleistocene (Grotta Romanelli, Terrasses de la Riera dels Canyars) and Holocene (Portalón) sit...

In 1988 and 1989, the Paleoanthropological Inventory of Ethiopia (PIE) field expedition discovered numerous localities of prehistoric significance across Ethiopia (WoldeGabriel et al., 1992). One of the regions surveyed by the Inventory team was the Dulecha administrative district (Gabi Rasu), Afar Zone (Fig. 1). The surveyed area (geographic refer...

We present new datings and a new anthropological study of Early Neolithic human remains found in Galería del Sílex in 1979. This gallery is part of the Cueva Mayor system in the Sierra de Atapuerca. The human fossils attributed to the Neolithic period correspond to a minimum number of three individuals that have been radiocarbon dated to the last t...

The forearm skeleton is composed of two bones: the radius and the ulna. This is closely related to manipulative movements. The ulna is part of the elbow joint, whereas the radius and ulna together with the scaphoid and lunate bones, form the wrist joints. Thus, morphofunctional analysis of the adult Sima de los Huesos (SH) forearm bones, provides c...

Some of the Sima de los Huesos (SH) humeri have been previously studied and described elsewhere. Here we present an updated inventory and a review of the specimens recovered to the present day. The morphological key traits of the adult and subadult specimens are described, discussed, and illustrated. The SH humeri share with Neandertals many traits...

The postcranial skeleton of fossil hominins is crucial for reconstructing the processes that occurred between the time of death and the recovery of the bones. Thousands of postcranial skeletal fragments from at least 29 hominin individuals have been recovered from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site in Spain. This study's primary objecti...

This work examines the possible behaviour of Neanderthal groups at the Cueva Des-Cubierta (central Spain) via the analysis of the latter’s archaeological assemblage. Alongside evidence of Mousterian lithic industry, Level 3 of the cave infill was found to contain an assemblage of mammalian bone remains dominated by the crania of large ungulates, so...

Here we present an updated inventory and study of pectoral girdle remains recovered from the Sima de los Huesos (SH) site. Here, we describe the key morphological traits of adults and, for the first time, subadult specimens. Because morphological traits can change with age, we also discuss some shortcomings related to age estimation in postcranial...

The early Middle Pleistocene human material from Boxgrove (West Sussex, UK) consists of a partial left tibia and two lower incisors from a separate adult individual. These remains derive from deposits assigned to the MIS 13 interglacial at about 480 ka and have been referred to as Homo cf. heidelbergensis. The much larger skeletal sample from the S...

El Portalón de Cueva Mayor cave (Atapuerca, Spain) is a settlement site at the entrance of a natural cave. This Holocene archaeological site shows a record of a long archaeological sequence that includes a Chalcolithic occupation starting from 3090 to 2240 cal. BC 2σ. During this phase, different human activities have been identified: habitational...

El Portalón de Cueva Mayor cave (Atapuerca, Spain) is a settlement site at the entrance of a natural cave. This Holocene archaeological site shows a record of a long archaeological sequence that includes a Chalcolithic occupation starting from 3090 to 2240 cal. BC 20. During this phase, different human activities have been identified: habitational...

El Portalón de Cueva Mayor es uno de los yacimientos arqueo-paleontológicos holocenos más importantes de la Meseta Norte y forma parte del complejo kárstico de la Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos). La Edad del Bronce constituye un importante legado arqueo-paleontológico en la región central de la Península Ibérica. En este período se registran la mayor...

This study presents two new methodological approaches for estimating skeletal age from maturational changes in the femoral distal epiphysis. In the first approach, five maturity stages were coded based on morphological changes in the epiphysis that encompass the overall developmental process. Data were presented as age ranges for the different matu...

Body mass estimation in fossil human species is a crucial topic in paleoanthropology as it yields information about ecologically relevant characteristics. Nevertheless, variables crucial to body mass estimation such as bone volume and skeletal weight have never before been calculated in a fossil human species. The exceptional state of preservation...

Tooth crown tissue proportions and enamel thickness distribution are considered reliable characters for inferring taxonomic identity, phylogenetic relationships, dietary and behavioural adaptations in fossil and extant hominids. While most Pleistocene hominins display variations from thick to hyper-thick enamel, Neanderthals exhibit relatively thin...

3D enamel thickness values measured in the TD6 maxillary and mandibular molars and those of the extinct and extant specimens/populations. Upper molars: H. antecessor from Gran Dolina (original data). HER: H. erectus (Sangiran_M1, Zanolli [54]). NEA: Neanderthals (Olejniczak et al.[8]; Bayle et al. [55]. MH: modern humans (Olejniczak et al. [8]). Lo...

Reconstruction of the worn molar cap. Reconstruction of TD6 worn molar cap by superimposition of an unworn molar cap. (TIF)

2D values measured in the TD6 maxillary and mandibular molars and those of the extinct and extant specimens/populations. Upper molars: H. antecessor from Gran Dolina (original data). HER: H. erectus (Sangiran_M1, Zanolli [54]; China_M2, Smith et al. [10]; Xing et al. [49]). EMPH: European Middle Pleistocene Homo (Steinheim_M1, Smith et al. [10]). N...

3D lateral enamel thickness values measured in the TD6 maxillary and mandibular molars and those of the extinct and extant specimens/populations. Upper molars: H. antecessor from Gran Dolina (original data). NAH: North African Homo (Tighenif_M2&M3, Zanolli and Mazurier [11]). EMPH: European Middle Pleistocene Homo (Visogliano6_M1 & Visogliano3_M2,...

Here we present a detailed study of the aetiologic factors causing hypercementosis in the mandibular teeth of the Magdalenian human skeleton recovered from the site of El Mirón cave in northern Spain. This skeleton belongs to an adult female and is referred as the “Red Lady” because the bones were stained with red ochre. The analysis of the cementu...

Significance The gene pool of modern Europeans was shaped through prehistoric migrations that reached the Western Mediterranean last. Obtaining biomolecular data has been challenging due to poor preservation related to adverse climatic conditions in this region. Here, we study the impact of prehistoric (Neolithic–Bronze Age) migrations in Iberia by...

The recovery to date of three complete and five partial femora, seven complete tibiae, and four complete fibulae from the Atapuerca Sima de los Huesos site provides an opportunity to analyze the biomechanical cross-sectional properties in this Middle Pleistocene population and to compare them with those of other fossil hominins and recent modern hu...

The gene pool of modern Europeans was shaped through prehistoric migrations that reached the Western Mediterranean last. Obtaining biomolecular data has been challenging due to poor preservation related to adverse climatic conditions in this region. Here, we study the impact of prehistoric (Neolithic–Bronze Age) migrations in Iberia by analyzing ge...

Earliest modern humans out of Africa Recent paleoanthropological studies have suggested that modern humans migrated from Africa as early as the beginning of the Late Pleistocene, 120,000 years ago. Hershkovitz et al. now suggest that early modern humans were already present outside of Africa more than 55,000 years earlier (see the Perspective by St...

Anthropic fracture of avian bones has received scarce experimental attention. Prehistoric bird consumption is assumed from references in studies of lagomorphs or small mammals, despite the fact that avian bones are quite different from those of mammals and rodents. Their consumption by humans can be addressed experimentally. This paper presents the...

La toma de decisiones mediante análisis multivariante de datos.

Significance The middle Pleistocene Sima de los Huesos (SH) fossil collection provides the rare opportunity to thoroughly characterize the postcranial skeleton in a fossil population, comparable only to that obtained in the study of the Neandertal hypodigm and recent (and fossil) modern humans. The SH paleodeme can be characterized as relatively ta...

This work presents the results from the excavation of a multiple burial in a pseudo-tumular structure constructed in the Cueva Mayor cave in the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos), specifically focusing on the entrance of this cave in an area known as El Portalón archaeological site. We recovered the skeletal remains of a minimum of eight individuals fro...

The main goal of this work is to introduce the archaeological characteristics of a collective burial excavated in the level 7/8 from “El Portalón de Cueva Mayor” site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos). The radiocarbon dating for this funerary level, obtained from seed, faunal and human remains, indicates dates of4350 ± 30 BP. This, together with the ty...

Seventeen Middle Pleistocene crania from the Sima de los Huesos site (Atapuerca, Spain) are analyzed, including seven new specimens. This sample makes it possible to thoroughly characterize a Middle Pleistocene hominin paleodeme and to address hypotheses about the origin and evolution of the Neandertals. Using a variety of techniques, the hominin-b...

Seventeen Middle Pleistocene crania from the Sima de los Huesos site (Atapuerca, Spain) are analyzed, including seven new specimens. This sample makes it possible to thoroughly characterize a Middle Pleistocene hominin paleodeme and to address hypotheses about the origin and evolution of the Neandertals. Using a variety of techniques, the hominin-b...

The present paper reports the recently recovered human bone remains from the Cueva de la Zarzamora in the southernmost limits of the Castilian Plateau of the Iberian Peninsula (Segovia, Spain). A total of two teeth and nine human bones from the trunk, pelvis and foot regions have been recovered. A complete inventory, metrical and morphological stud...

The present paper reports the recently recovered human bone remains from the Cueva de la Zarzamora in the southernmost limits of the Castilian Plateau of the Iberian Peninsula (Segovia, Spain). A total of two teeth and nine human bones from the trunk, pelvis and foot regions have been recovered. A complete inventory, metrical and morphological stud...

The Cueva del Camino site (Pinilla del Valle, Madrid) represents the most complete MIS 5 record from the Iberian Peninsula (away from the Mediterranean margin), including a large accumulation of fossilized remains of small and large vertebrates and two human teeth. The presence of carnivores (mainly hyenas) and humans suggests that the site should...

In this report, we present a morphometric comparative study of two Early Pleistocene humeri recovered from the TD6 level of the Gran Dolina cave site in Sierra de Atapuerca, northern Spain. ATD6-121 belongs to a child between 4 and 6 years old, whereas ATD6-148 corresponds to an adult. ATD6-148 exhibits the typical pattern of the genus Homo, but it...

Systematic excavations at the site of the Sima de los Huesos (SH) in the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain) have allowed us to reconstruct 27 complete long bones of the human species Homo heidelbergensis. The SH sample is used here, together with a sample of 39 complete Homo neanderthalensis long bones and 17 complete early Homo sapiens (Skhul/Qaf...

Cova del Gegant is located near the city of Sitges (Barcelona, Spain). The cave is a small karst system which contains Upper Pleistocene archaeological and paleontological material (Daura et al., 2005). The site was first excavated in 1954 and then in 1972 and 1974- (Viñas, 1972; Viñas & Villalta, 1975) and in 1985 and 1989 (Martínez et al., 1985;...

This study presents a description and comparative analysis of Middle Pleistocene permanent and deciduous teeth from the site of Qesem Cave (Israel). All of the human fossils are assigned to the Acheulo-Yabrudian Cultural Complex (AYCC) of the late Lower Paleolithic. The Middle Pleistocene age of the Qesem teeth (400-200 ka) places them chronologica...

The Bodo partial distal humerus with an approximate age of 0.6 million years is one of the very few postcranial remains from the African Middle Pleistocene. Despite its fragmentary status, comparisons of the Bodo humerus with other fossil hominid and modern human samples reveal some insights into African hominids of this time period. The Bodo parti...

This study reports on the skeletal remains of an infant clavicle - specimen ATD6-37 - belonging to the Homo antecessor species, unearthed at Lower Pleistocene level TD6 of the Gran Dolina site (Sierra Lie Atapuerca). Studied alongside a further adult specimen - ATD6-50 -, they provide LIS with significant information on two key paleobiological aspe...

The site of Portalón at Cueva Mayor, located in the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain), is an important Holocene archaeological site that was excavated in the 70's but from which little has been published. New excavations starting in 2000 have highlighted a deep stratigraphical sequence with human occupations starting in the beginning of the Upper...

The site of Portalón at Cueva Mayor, located in the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain), is an important Holocene archaeological site that was excavated in the 70’s but from which little has been published. New excavations starting in 2000 have highlighted a deep stratigraphical sequence with human occupations starting in the beginning of the Upper...

This study describes and compares two hyoid bones from the middle Pleistocene site of the Sima de los Huesos in the Sierra de Atapuerca (Spain). The Atapuerca SH hyoids are humanlike in both their morphology and dimensions, and they clearly differ from the hyoid bones of chimpanzees and Australopithecus afarensis. Their comparison with the Neandert...

In this article, the upper cervical spine remains recovered from the Sima de los Huesos (SH) middle Pleistocene site in the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain) are described and analyzed. To date, this site has yielded more than 5000 human fossils belonging to a minimum of 28 individuals of the species Homo heidelbergensis. At least eleven individu...