Hominid Status of the Orce Cranial Fragment Reasserted

Untitled

“…However, comparison with carnivores and equids shows VM-0 to have greater dimensions and quite different arcs around obelion (figs. 1, 7); corroborating earlier comparisons with equids: Gibert et al, 1998aGibert et al, , b, 1999b. The comparisons highlight a brain size for VM-0 well in excess of the 470 cm 3 of 9-month-old equids when their sagittal sutural closure begins or an adult equid value of 500 cm 3 .…”

“…There is general agreement in the published literature that VM-0 corresponds to an obelionic region of a mammalian skull in which the sagittal suture has not undergone obliteration (Agustí & Moyà, 1987;Campillo, 1989Campillo, , 1999Gibert, 1986;Campillo & Gibert, 1996;Gibert et al, 1983Gibert et al, , 1989aGibert et al, -c, 1998aGibert et al, , 1999aMoyà & Agustí, 1989). From considerations explained above, comparison is admissible only with bovids and cervids under 2 months old or carnivores and equids under 9 months old.…”

“…1). We have published detailed anatomical comparison of the obelionic region in equids, hominids and VM-0 (Gibert et al, 1989a(Gibert et al, -c, 1995(Gibert et al, , 1998a(Gibert et al, , 1999b (fig. 7) and we confine our- A) Maximum-minimum thickness obelionic region.…”

“…However, in 1987 Agustí and Moyà revised their view, reassigning it to a juvenile equid (in papers which more reflect opinion than new findings), both because of an allegedly "coronal" suture (notwithstanding its distal situation in the fragment) and its small internal occipital crest (Agusti J., Moyá 1987; Moyà J., Agustí, 1989;Moyà & Köhler, 1997). However, any "coronal" attribution of the suture is readily rebutted by anatomical arguments and, anyway, small internal occipital crests have been described in human skulls (Campillo, 1989(Campillo, , 1998(Campillo, , 1999(Campillo, , 2002(Campillo, , 2003Campillo & Barceló, 1989;Campillo D., Gibert, 1996;Campillo et al, 2003;García Olivares et al, 1989, Gibert, 1986, 2004, 2005Gibert et al, 1983Gibert et al, , 1989aGibert et al, , b, c, 1992a1993, 1994a, b, 1995, 1998a, b, 1999a2001;, 20032005) (fig. 3).…”

El Pleistoceno inferior de la Península Ibérica

“…Aunque los trabajos arqueológicos en esta zona se han visto injustamente lastrados por la polémica acerca del supuesto carácter antrópico de determinados fósiles hallados en el yacimiento paleontológico de Venta Micena (Gibert et al 1998b;Moyà-Solà y Köhler 1997;Palmqvist 1997), siempre ha habido coincidencia en la gran antigüedad de los artefactos líticos procedentes de Barranco León 5 y Fuente Nueva 3 (Gibert et al 1998a;Martínez Navarro et al 1997;Oms et al 2000b;Turq et al 1996).…”