Craniosynostosis in the Middle Pleistocene human Cranium 14 from the Sima de los Huesos, Atapuerca, Spain.
We report here a previously undescribed human Middle Pleistocene immature specimen, Cranium 14, recovered at the Sima de los Huesos (SH) site (Atapuerca, Spain), that constitutes the oldest evidence in human evolution of a very rare pathology in our own species, lambdoid single suture craniosynostosis (SSC). Both the ecto- and endo-cranial deformities observed in this specimen are severe. All of the evidence points out that this severity implies that the SSC occurred before birth, and that facial asymmetries, as well as motor/cognitive disorders, were likely to be associated with this condition. The analysis of the present etiological data of this specimen lead us to consider that Cranium 14 is a case of isolated SSC, probably of traumatic origin. The existence of this pathological individual among the SH sample represents also a fact to take into account when referring to sociobiological behavior in Middle Pleistocene humans.
Gracia
Ana
A
Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, c/ Sinesio Delgado 4, Pabellón 14, 28029 Madrid, Spain. agracia@isciii.es
Arsuaga
Juan Luis
JL
Martínez
Ignacio
I
Lorenzo
Carlos
C
Carretero
José Miguel
JM
Bermúdez de Castro
José María
JM
Carbonell
Eudald
E