Descripción del proyecto
Las bocas de nuestros ancestros tienen mucho que contar sobre sus sociedades
Los neandertales y el «Homo sapiens» comparten un ancestro común originario de África. Sin embargo, ambos evolucionaron como especies distintas a lo largo de miles de años. En el momento en que el «Homo sapiens» abandonó África para explorar Eurasia, los neandertales ya llevaban más de 200 000 años habitando el continente. Cada vez existen más pruebas sobre el hecho de que ambas especies coincidieron e incluso se cruzaron entre sí. Por ello, los estudios comparativos resultan interesantes desde diferentes perspectivas. El proyecto financiado con fondos europeos 3DFOSSILDIET compara el crecimiento y el desarrollo de ambas especies humanas a través de sus bocas. Concretamente, se investigarán las diferencias alimentarias y la complejidad conductual a través de estudios del desgaste dental, lo cual permitirá inferir la biomecánica del aparato masticador. La información obtenida ofrecerá pistas sobre la dinámica social y nuestros procesos evolutivos como especie.
Objetivo
3DFOSSILDIET (Tracing the Ontogenetic Evolution of Diet and Behavior in Neandertals and Anatomically Modern Humans in the Franco-Cantabrian Region. An Integrative study of 3D Tooth Wear Patterns), aims to reconstruct both dietary patterns and biomechanics of the masticatory apparatus during ontogeny (somatic development and growth of an organism throughout its lifetime, from conception to adulthood, a span known as the Life History) in Neandertals and Anatomically Modern Humans in order to trace trophic variation and behavioral complexity, and the following questions will be addressed:
1) How did adult individuals care for sub-adults?
2) How did sub-adults become independent individuals?
3) How were relationships expressed within the groups?
4) Could social patterns reflect our evolutionary success?
This project will implement the use of recently developed virtual methods (Dental Microwear Texture Analysis and Dental Topographic Analysis) for the analysis of both micro- and macro- dental wear patterns in both Neandertals and Anatomically Modern Humans as a proxy to infer biomechanics of the mastication (diet) and general use of the mouth (behavior) along the Life History of both human species.
3DFOSSILDIET is interdisciplinary, bringing together expertise in microscopy, bioarchaeology, isotopic analyses, and paleoanthropology through an integrative methodology to document dental wear. The results will address how and if behavioral changes were reflected across the human groups who lived during Middle to Upper Paleolithic Transition at the Franco-Cantabrian Region. Furthermore, the advance of the study of dental wear will provide technological framework for the study of surface modifications of both biological and archaeological materials.
Ámbito científico
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinador
39005 Santander
España