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The phylogenetic status of Homo heidelbergensis – a cladistic study of Middle Pleistocene hominins

Le statut phylogénétique d’Homo heidelbergensis – étude cladistique des homininés du Pléistocène moyen

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  • Published: 25 August 2015
  • Volume 27, pages 110–134, (2015)
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The phylogenetic status of Homo heidelbergensis – a cladistic study of Middle Pleistocene hominins
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  • A. Mounier1,2,3 &
  • M. Caparros4 

  • 1151 Accesses

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Abstract

Two views prevail concerning the significance of H. heidelbergensis in Middle Pleistocene human evolution. H. heidelbergensis sensu stricto refers to a European chronospecies of H. neanderthalensis while H. heidelbergensis sensu lato is considered to be an Afro-European species ancestral to modern humans and Neandertals.

Here, we test the phylogenetic validity of H. heidelbergensis using a cladistic analysis based on cranial morphological data of Pleistocene fossils. We perform a low-level analysis to ascertain the information content of the morphological features, a high-level analysis with reweighted characters resulting in a single most parsimonious cladogram and a bootstrap analysis to assess the robustness of this cladogram.

Our results show that (i) the identification of a coherent H. heidelbergensis s.l. species is not well supported and is equivocal; (ii) the hypothetical last common ancestor of H. sapiens and H. neanderthalensis has more affinities with African specimens than European; (iii) two Middle Pleistocene European fossils (Atapuerca SH5 and Steinheim) should be classified as H. neanderthalensis.

Résumé

Le rôle d’Homo heidelbergensis dans l’évolution humaine au Pléistocène moyen est interprété à la lumière de deux hypothèses principales. H. heidelbergensis sensu stricto fait référence à une chrono-espèce européenne d’Homo neanderthalensis alors que H. heidelbergensis sensu lato est considérée comme l’espèce afro-européenne ancestrale aux hommes modernes et aux Néandertaliens.

Dans cette étude, nous testons la validité phylogénétique d’H. heidelbergensis à l’aide d’une analyse cladistique basée sur des caractères morphologiques crâniens de fossiles du Pléistocène. Nous réalisons une analyse de premier ordre (‘low-level’) pour quantifier le contenu d’information des caractères morphologiques; puis une analyse de deuxième ordre (‘high-level’), avec des caractères pondérés, permettant l’obtention d’un unique cladogramme le plus parcimonieux et finalement une analyse bootstrap afin d’évaluer la robustesse de ce cladogramme.

Nos résultats montrent que (i) l’identification d’une espèce cohésive H. heidelbergensis s.l. n’est pas bien étayée et est donc équivoque; (ii) le dernier ancêtre commun hypothétique à H. sapiens et H. neanderthalensis a plus d’affinité avec les fossiles africains qu’européens; (iii) deux fossiles du Pléistocène moyen (Atapuerca SH5 et Steinheim) devraient être classé en tant qu’H. neanderthalensis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Leverhulme Centre for human Evolutionary Studies, Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Fitzwilliam Street, Cambridge, CB2 1QH, United Kingdom

    A. Mounier

  2. UMR 7268 ADES, Aix-Marseille Université/EFS/CNRS, Faculté de Médecine - Secteur Nord, CS80011 Bd Pierre Dramard, 13344, Marseille, France

    A. Mounier

  3. Fondation Fyssen, 194 rue de Rivoli, Paris, France

    A. Mounier

  4. Département de Préhistoire, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, UMR 7194 du CNRS, 1, rue René Panhard, 75013, Paris, France

    M. Caparros

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  1. A. Mounier
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Correspondence to A. Mounier.

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Mounier, A., Caparros, M. The phylogenetic status of Homo heidelbergensis – a cladistic study of Middle Pleistocene hominins. BMSAP 27, 110–134 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13219-015-0127-4

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  • Received: 17 March 2015

  • Accepted: 02 May 2015

  • Published: 25 August 2015

  • Issue Date: October 2015

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13219-015-0127-4

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Keywords

  • Homo heidelbergensis
  • Cladistics
  • Last common ancestor of modern humans and Neandertals
  • Sima de los Huesos

Mots clés

  • Homo heidelbergensis
  • Cladistique
  • Dernier ancêtre commun des Hommes modernes et des Néandertaliens
  • Sima de los Huesos
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