title: Direct radiocarbon dating and genetic analyses on the purported Neanderthal mandible from the Monti Lessini (Italy).
abstract: Anatomically modern humans replaced Neanderthals in Europe around 40,000 years ago. The demise of the Neanderthals and the nature of the possible relationship with anatomically modern humans has captured our imagination and stimulated research for more than a century now. Recent chronological studies suggest a possible overlap between Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans of more than 5,000 years. Analyses of ancient genome sequences from both groups have shown that they interbred multiple times, including in Europe. A potential place of interbreeding is the notable Palaeolithic site of Riparo Mezzena in Northern Italy. In order to improve our understanding of prehistoric occupation at Mezzena, we analysed the human mandible and several cranial fragments from the site using radiocarbon dating, ancient DNA, ZooMS and isotope analyses. We also performed a more detailed investigation of the lithic assemblage of layer I. Surprisingly we found that the Riparo Mezzena mandible is not from a Neanderthal but belonged to an anatomically modern human. Furthermore, we found no evidence for the presence of Neanderthal remains among 11 of the 13 cranial and post-cranial fragments re-investigated in this study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Sahra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Talamo
authors.affiliation: Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Mateja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hajdinjak
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany.|Department of Archaeology, School of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Moesgård Allé 20, 8270 Højbjerg, Denmark.
authors.forename: Marcello A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mannino
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell'Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126 Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Leone
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fasani
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany.|BioArCh, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Frido
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Welker
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Storia, Archeologia, Geografia, Arte e Spettacolo. Cattedra di Paletnologia (Prehistory), Via S. Egidio 21, 50122 Firenze, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martini
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Storia, Archeologia, Geografia, Arte e Spettacolo. Cattedra di Paletnologia (Prehistory), Via S. Egidio 21, 50122 Firenze, Italy.|Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES) Zona Educacional 4-Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3) 43007 Tarragona, Spain.|Area de Prehistoria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Avinguda de Catalunya 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Romagnoli
authors.affiliation: Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Verona, Sezione di Geologia e Paleontologia, Lungadige Porta Vittoria 9, 37129 Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zorzin
authors.affiliation: Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Jean-Jacques
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Hublin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000072441:DNA, Ancient / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005580:Fossils; D005820:Genetic Testing; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008334:Mandible / Q000737:chemistry; D059125:Neanderthals / Q000235:genetics*; D055110:Radiometric Dating; D012886:Skull / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000072441:DNA, Ancient