title: Evidence for new Neanderthal teeth in Tabun Cave (Israel) by the application of self-organizing maps (SOMs).
abstract: Morphological and metrical study suggested that seven human teeth from Tabun Cave, Israel were part of the upper dentition of a single, probably Neanderthal, individual renumbered as Tabun BC7. An enamel fragment gave ESR age estimates of 82+/-14 ka (early U-uptake) and 92+/-18 ka (linear uptake) and an age estimate of 90(+30)(-16) ka using U-series disequilibrium. Although metrical analyses suggested Neanderthal affinities, definitive assessment was difficult as the values often fell into the ranges of both Neanderthal and Levantine early modern human samples. Therefore, two further classification analyses were conducted (neural networks using self-organizing maps and homogeneity analysis). Both identify Tabun BC7 as a Neanderthal. Neural networks are a promising tool for paleoanthropological studies as they can provide reliable classifications even with incomplete data.
authors: Department of Animal and Human Biology, Section of Anthropology, University of Rome La Sapienza, 5 Piazzale Aldo Moro, Rome 00185, Italy. alfredo.coppa@uniroma1.it <alfredo.coppa@uniroma1.it>
authors: Alfredo
authors: A
authors: Coppa
authors: Franz
authors: F
authors: Manni
authors: Chris
authors: C
authors: Stringer
authors: Rita
authors: R
authors: Vargiu
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Vecchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000885:Anthropology, Physical; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000737:chemistry*; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D005580:Fossils; D015186:Hominidae / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D016571:Neural Networks, Computer; D014070:Tooth / Q000033:anatomy & histology*