A newly discovered Neanderthal bone fragment from Crimea is providing unprecedented insights into the lives and movements of these ancient hominins, showing that they migrated over vast distances across Eurasia. Analysis of the 5-cm-long bone fragment, found at the Starosele archaeological site, reveals a surprising genetic link to Neanderthals from Siberia’s Altai region, more than 3,000 kilometers away. This discovery, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, sheds light on the surprisingly complex patterns of Neanderthal dispersal and connectivity during the Late Pleistocene, a period marking their eventual disappearance.
The Starosele Site and the Crimean Peninsula’s Importance
The Crimean Peninsula, located in present-day Ukraine, has proven to be a treasure trove of Paleolithic archaeological sites, yielding vital clues about early human occupations and biocultural transitions. Starosele, a rock shelter nestled within a steep canyon, is one such site, boasting four distinct cultural layers that have been studied since 1952. This area has previously been recognized as a potential refuge for the last surviving Neanderthals just before their extinction, supported by radiocarbon dating indicating a continuous presence of Neanderthals between roughly 47,000 and 42,000 years ago.
Uncovering the Ancient Bone Fragment
Researchers, including Emily Pigott, a doctoral student at the University of Vienna, meticulously screened thousands of bone fragments from the Starosele site in search of potential human remains. While most fragments belonged to animals— predominantly horses and deer, reflecting the Paleolithic humans’ reliance on horse hunting—one fragment stood out. Measuring only 49.8 mm long and 18.8 mm wide, this small piece was identified as a hominin bone, and radiocarbon dating placed its age between 46,000 and 45,000 years old. This timeframe is particularly significant, coinciding with the decline of Neanderthals and the expansion of Homo sapiens in western Europe.
Genetic Link to Siberian Neanderthals
The truly remarkable aspect of this discovery is the genetic information gleaned from the bone fragment. Researchers were able to sequence a mitochondrial genome, revealing a clear connection to the Neanderthal lineage. Interestingly, the individual’s genetic profile clustered most closely with Neanderthal mitogenomes previously identified in the Altai region of Siberia. This finding strongly suggests long-distance migrations and interconnectedness between Neanderthal populations separated by vast distances, a conclusion supported by earlier studies highlighting Neanderthal dispersal throughout Eurasia. The individual also shows connections to Neanderthals from Europe, such as those from Croatia.
Implications for Understanding Neanderthal Dispersal
The discovery places the Crimean Peninsula at a crucial crossroads of a Neanderthal migration corridor, demonstrating the extensive range of these hominins during the Late Pleistocene.
This finding bolsters the understanding of Neanderthal mobility and dispersal, indicating that these ancient humans were capable of traversing significant distances. The study confirms that Neanderthals once dispersed over vast distances across Eurasia, from central Europe to central Eurasia, during favorable climatic conditions. The presence of the Micoquian stone tool industry at Starosele further emphasizes both cultural continuity and regional mobility during this period. The scarcity of human fossils from this crucial transitional period makes this discovery especially significant, providing a rare glimpse into the dynamics of Neanderthal populations just before their extinction
