Cut marks on the Bodo cranium: a case of prehistoric defleshing.
Cut marks were discovered on the Middle Pleistocene Bodo cranium from Ethiopia. The cut marks most closely resemble experimental damage caused by the application of stone tools to fresh bone. This discovery constitutes the earliest solid evidence for intentional defleshing of a human ancestor and offers new research avenues for the investigation of early hominid mortuary practices.
D005002:Ethiopia; D000882:Haplorhini / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009027:Mortuary Practice; D010164:Paleopathology; D012886:Skull / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000648:ultrastructure