title: A re-examination of the human fossil specimen from Bački Petrovac (Serbia).
abstract: A fragmented human calotte was discovered during the early 1950s near Bački Petrovac (Serbia), in association with Palaeolithic stone tools. After its initial publication, the fossil specimen remained largely unknown outside of the Serbian academe and no detailed comparative study has ever been carried out. Since the whereabouts of the fossil itself are currently unknown, and given its potential significance for the Pleistocene human evolution, we re-examine the data published by Živanović (1966, 1975). Using the original measurements, mostly taken on the frontal bone, and a wide comparative sample of 68 fossil specimens, the fossil was compared and analyzed by statistical multivariate methods. We also conducted a visual examination of the morphology based on the available photographic material. Our analysis reveals phenetic similarity with Middle Pleistocene archaic Homo from Africa and anatomically modern Homo sapiens. However, the absence of primitive cranial traits in Bački Petrovac indicates a clear modern Homo sapiens designation. Although lost at the moment, there is a chance for the re-discovery of the fossil in the years to come. This would give us an opportunity to acquire absolute dates and to study the specimen in a more detailed manner.
authors.affiliation: National Museum Kraljevo, Trg Svetog Save 2, 36000 Kraljevo, Serbia. Electronic address: pedja_radovic@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Predrag
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Radović
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2 Canada.
authors.forename: Joshua Allan
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Lindal
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, University of Winnipeg, 515 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3B 2E9 Canada.
authors.forename: Mirjana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roksandic
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002508:Cephalometry; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005004:Ethmoid Bone / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005580:Fossils / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005624:Frontal Bone / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D049690:History, Ancient; D015186:Hominidae / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006801:Humans; D010163:Paleontology; D010294:Parietal Bone / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D055771:Serbia