To date, the earliest modern human fossils found outside of Africa are dated to around 90,000 to 120,000 years ago at the Levantine sites of Skhul and Qafzeh. A maxilla and associated dentition recently discovered at Misliya Cave, Israel, was dated to 177,000 to 194,000 years ago, suggesting that members of the clade left Africa earlier than previously thought. This finding changes our view on modern human dispersal and is consistent with recent genetic studies, which have posited the possibility of an earlier dispersal of around 220,000 years ago. The Misliya maxilla is associated with full-fledged Levallois technology in the Levant, suggesting that the emergence of this technology is linked to the appearance of in the region, as has been documented in Africa.

Estimation of stature from body parts plays a vital role in identifying the dead. This study focused on dimensions of the foramen magnum region and examined the relationship between stature and the dimensions of the foramen magnum region in northern and southern Chinese populations. Measurements were taken on the skulls of 276 individuals (all male). Data on 48 individuals from northern China and 140 from southern China were used for further stature reconstruction of the above two populations in China. Statistical analyses indicate that bilateral variation is insignificant for all measurements except maximum length of condyle in the southern Chinese population (p < 0.01) and that the northern and southern populations differ significantly only in the minimum distance between condyles. Linear and multiple regression equations for stature estimation were established. The correlation coefficients between stature and the various measurements differed between the northern and southern Chinese populations.

Previous studies that have examined mid-facial morphology in geographically dispersed and genetically diverse groups of humans have shown a strong adaptation of the nasal part to extreme cold environments, which was not observed in non-Arctic regions. However, it remains unclear whether different parts of the mid-face area show independent adaptation to nonpolar climates, and if so, how this adaptation impacted the morphology. To address this question, we investigated potential associations between climatic variables and the mid-facial shape in 14 populations, focusing on four aspects of the morphology: total shape, zygomatic, nasal and alveolar. The results show that when the genetic distance between populations is not considered, all aspects of the morphology are strongly correlated with all climatic variables. When the genetic distance is considered, significant correlations remain only for the zygomatic, and nasal parts with temperature, and for the nasal part and alveolar with sunshine exposure. A strong but probably artificial correlation of the alveolar with atmospheric pressure is also observed. Additionally, partial least square analyses indicate that tropical and subtropical environments are associated with smaller zygomatic and more triangular nose aperture compared to more temperate environments. These findings suggest that temperate and tropical climates have induced adaptation of zygomatic and nasal parts of the mid-face in humans, and that this adaptation was probably driven by temperature and sunlight exposure conditions. Anat Rec, 300:238-250,