Homo sapiens, with a single face – Radio Macondo

The method is to examine electron microscopy and confocal surface of the bones of the face of individuals in the development process. In the picture, the skull 6 Pit of Bones. Javier Trueba / MSF. Image provided by the MEH.

An international work, based largely in Atapuerca fossils, found that the histological pattern seen in the Homo sapiens is unique in human evolution, while the model growth of other species continues, however, a primitive pattern.

This is one of the main conclusions of a study published in the journal Nature Communications and explains how it has been changing the face .

The study was conducted by an international team of paleoanthropologists with extensive Spanish participation, including the scientific director of the museum and co-director of Atapuerca, Juan Luis Arsuaga, and studies the evolution of the skeleton of the human face in the last two million years.

The researchers of this study concluded that the histological pattern seen in the Homo sapiens , with large areas of bone resorption in the facial area, is unique in human evolution, has informed the Museum of Human Evolution in a press release.

The growth model of the face of Homo erectus , and Neanderthal fossils from the Sima de los Huesos in Sierra Atapuerca remains, however, a pattern primitive, where there are virtually only tank in the face and bone resorption does not exist or is minimal.

Only in the case of Homo antecessor of the Gran Dolina in the Sierra de Atapuerca, the growth model might look modern, but for now there is only one individual, rather incomplete, which can be studied, in part, the histology of the surface of the face.

The method used in this study has been to examine the electronic and confocal microscope the surface of the bones of the face of individuals in the development process, so as to distinguish the areas in which others being deposited in bone is being resorbed bone.

During the facial development, facial bones grow mainly in areas where bone deposition occurs.

In areas where resorption predominates, growth is much more limited.

That difference in the dynamics of these processes makes the modern human face has highlighted, it is “sculpted” with high cheekbones, for example, and it is vertical instead of projecting forward on a hill, while there are only great ape bone deposition and therefore the entire face forward during growth.

first author of the work is Rodrigo Lacruz, a Spanish teacher at the University of New York , which says the study ensures that facial growth patterns in Neanderthals and the Sima de los Atapuerca bones are very different from modern human.

Juan Luis Arsuaga says is a “very important” discovery because it confirms that the present human species has many originality , unique features not found in Neanderthals and other human species that have been

Source: EFE