The possible track-makers are individuals from the Neanderthal lineage, according to new research led by Universidad de Huelva paleoanthropologists.
The Matalascañas site in Spain: (A) geographical location and geological setting; (B) mapping for the hominin footprints and animal tracks; (C) aerial view of the drone flight; (D-I) some relevant footprints from the outcrop. Scale bars – 5 cm. Image credit: Mayoral et al., doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-22524-2.
The new track site with 87 hominin footprints and associated animal tracks was discovered at the ‘El Asperillo’ cliff, close to Matalascañas in the Doñana National Park, southwestern Spain.
Among the hominin footprints, 31 were complete and measured from 14 to 29 cm. The statures of the track-makers ranged from 104 to 188 cm.
The wide range of sizes of the footprints suggested the existence of a social group of hominins dominated by non-adult individuals.
“Hominin footprints are in most cases attributed to species defined based on anatomical characteristics, which from a paleoanthropological point of view allow a more precise classification than can be obtained through ichnotaxonomy,” said lead author Dr. Eduardo Mayoral, a researcher in the Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra at the Universidad de Huelva, and his colleagues.
“Attributing of hominin footprints to a particular species is generally done from indirect evidence.”
“The association of footprints with archaeological or skeletal assemblages can reinforce a taxonomic assignation, although this occurs only in exceptional cases.”
“Nevertheless, in most cases, the attribution is solely based on the chronological context.”
“This fact has highlighted the importance of using reliable dating tools to constrain this kind of hominin fossil remains chronologically.”
An earlier dating of the geological layer located just above the ancient soil that preserves the Matalascañas footprints suggested an age before 106,000 years ago.
“This chronological context made it possible to propose Neanderthals as the possible producers of the hominin footprints,” the authors explained.
“It also enabled a discussion of this paleocommunity’s ecological role and evolutionary context in a favorable climatic moment.”
“However, in the development of our subsequent research and taking into account the importance of chronological data in paleoanthropological studies, and with the aim of verifying and confirming the dating, a new sampling was carried out in the Asperillo Cliff area.”
Using a new technique called optically stimulated luminescence, the researchers determined the age of the Matalascañas footprints to be 295,800 years old.
They hypothesize that the footprints were probably impressed by individuals from the Neanderthal lineage (Homo neanderthalensis or Homo heidelbergensis).
The discovery represents a crucial record for understanding human occupations in Europe in the Pleistocene.
“The new chronology at Matalascañas indicates that the human footprints would have been made nearly 200,000 years prior to the time established in their initial study,” the scientists said.
“This chronological shift places these new footprints during the Middle Pleistocene.”
“This new context is relevant since it provides information about the Middle Pleistocene fossils, a fragmentary and geographically heterogeneous record, attributed to species belonging to the Neanderthal lineage.”
A paper on the findings appears in the journal Scientific Reports.
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E. Mayoral et al. 2022. New dating of the Matalascañas footprints provides new evidence of the Middle Pleistocene (MIS 9-8) hominin paleoecology in southern Europe. Sci Rep 12, 17505; doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-22524-2
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