A new distal hallucal phalanx from the Neandertal holotype site in the Neander Valley (Germany)

Abstract

In the early and mid-19th century, a few discoveries of ancient human remains in Europe led to the birth of paleoanthropology or prehistory. One of these sites (Kleine Feldhofer Grotte, Neander Valley, Germany) yielded several human remains belonging to an incomplete skeleton that was identified as the holotype of Homo neanderthalensis [1]. Almost 150 years after the initial discovery of this Neandertal individual in 1856, new excavations and research of the old material from the site have been undertaken and new human remains have been identified. Of these new remains, three directly fit on the Neandertal holotype, and two different individuals have been identified with a direct dating chronology of around of 42 ka cal BP; an adult male (Neandertal 1-holotype) and a gracile female individual (Neandertal).