Étude analityque d´une clavicule complète de subadulte d´Homo antecessor (site de Gran Dolina), Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Espagne

Abstract

This study reports on the skeletal remains of an infant clavicle – specimen ATD6-37 – belonging to the Homo antecessor species, unearthed at Lower Pleistocene level TD6 of the Gran Dolina site (Sierra de Atapuerca). Studied alongside a further adult specimen – ATD6-50 –, they provide us with significant information on two key paleobiological aspects of these early humans: body shape and development. Based on the analytical results, the paper proposes a more accurate proportional method for determining age at death is applied to the fossilized infant clavicle under study. It goes on to hypothesize on postcranial growth and body shape and discusses morphological patterns and age at death of these early humans through comparisons with a wide range of infant dental samples and clavicular specimens in early and modern humans.