Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia 37 (2) 2009

Annotation:  Evolution of the Quaternary Environment in the Northwestern Altai Kostenki-4: The Position of Artifacts in Space and Time (the Analysis of the Cultural Layer) Stratigraphic Data on Middle Paleolithic Sites in the Upper Desna Basin Human-made Bedrock Holes (Mortars and Cupmarks) as a Late Natufi an Social Phenomenon Tsaram: A Burial Ground of the Hsiung-nu Elite in Transbaikalia Species Attribution of Hair of the Pazyryk Fur Coat from the Olon-Kurin-Gol-10 Burial Ground, Mongo Shaitanskoye Ozero II: New Aspects of the Uralian Bronze Age Yankovsky Economics: Animal Bones from 1st Millennium BC Settlements in Primorye, Russian Far East “Technical Decoration” of the Tripolye Ceramics On the Interpretation of Central Asian and South Siberian Rock Art Forms of Nomadism and Livestock Management of the Eastern Sayan Buryats in the Late 19th and Early Harvesting of Siberian Pine Nuts in Mountain Shoria: Traditions and Nowadays The Ethnic History of Medieval Novgorod (Based on Craniometric Data) Seliungur Teeth Revisited L.K. Gudkova.   

Seliungur Teeth Revisited

A.A. Zubov.

Six teeth (three upper incisors and three lower premolars) from the Paleolithic cave of Seliungur, southern Fergana, Uzbekistan, are described and compared with those of ancient and modern members of the genus Homo. Metric and nonmetric traits indicate that the teeth belonged to two or three representatives of the species Homo erectus, who lived in the Lower Pleistocene (more than 1 Ma years ago). The comparative analysis suggests that these humans belonged to the eastern branch of Homo erectus. This is evidenced by the premolar size ratio (P4 > P3), and by the general similarity to the teeth of Homo erectus pekinensis. Deviations from modern standards are paralleled by other fossils and cannot be used as a reason for suggesting that the Seliungur teeth are not human.

Keywords: Dental anthropology, teeth, human evolution, Paleolithic, Central Asia.