Sima de los Huesos hominin

The SIma de los Huesos hominin is a possible species of hominin that lived in Europe and possibly Africa during the Middle Pleistocene.

## Classification

After having retrieved mitochondrial DNA, it was determined that the Sima assemblage was a group sister to Neanderthals and possibly having ancestry with Denisovans. Some such as Matthias Meyer and Ian Tattersall suggested that these common ancestral populations may be a unique species. This was corroborated to a lack of Neanderthal DNA in the Sima sample, but this may have been diluted by interbreeding of local populations. As being consistent in shape and having morphological traits that are not necessarily apomorphic, Tattersall suggests that the specimens, in taxonomic limbo, should be given a new name. He also suggests that reluctance to name this new baby has stemmed from taxonomic issues within paleoanthropology. It is possible that this grouping is wholly distinct from *Homo heidelbergensis* (Maur, probably Visogliano, Montmaurin, ?Mala Balanica and some of the Arago fossils).

## Paleobiology

### Paleopathology

The hominins at Sima de los Huesos show a high amount of blunt force trauma and far fewer traces of carnivore predator and/or scavenging. This trauma was inflicted during face-to-face combat seemingly by other people. It has been suggested that these hominins were victim of 'homicide', and accumulated at Atapuerca as a burial rite. This might suggest the concept of an afterlife and spirituality. However, this cannot be verified and the case of the Sima hominins are ambiguous.

## Notable Specimens

* Sima de Los Huesos: An early Neanderthal burial assemblage at Atapuerca, consisting of some lithic industry, many skulls and associated partial skeletons. They died of mysterious circumstances, possibly being the earliest homicide case. The individuals excavated did not live at the site, and so cultural elements (including technology) are nearly nonexistent.
	+ Atapuerca/Skull/Cranium 5 "Miguelón": A skull 430,000 years old, considered the most complete of the pre-apomorphics. It was discovered from Sima de los Huesos of Atapuerca, Spain by Juan-Luis Arsuaga in 1992. It has a cranial capacity of 1125 and many features in-line with Neanderthals, except for cheek bone morphology, which is apomorphic. This individual endured 13 blows to the head and died of sepsis caused by broken teeth. The frontal squama has a spherical depression indicating a blow by a club or rounded flint tool wielded by a right-handed individual. Alveolar infection is present through an alteration in the mandible. Tooth breakage was caused by a blow that peeled back the flesh and left the area nearly down to the orbital exposed to infection, where it died, The common name is after Miguel Indurain, a cyclist who won 2 grand tours in 1992.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22029462-600-oldest-human-genome-dug-up-in-spains-pit-of-bones/
2. ↑ https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/turns-out-humans-are-complete-mongrels
3. ↑ https://www.earthmagazine.org/article/spanish-cave-reveals-possible-new-neanderthal-ancestor/
4. ↑ https://anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ar.25190
5. ↑ https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/the-sima-hominins-an-ancient-human-cold-case
6. ↑ https://boneclones.com/product/homo-heidelbergensis-skull-atapuerca-5-BH-022
7. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel%C3%B3n