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Stone tools in northern Europe made by Homo sapiens 45,000 years ago

DNA analyses of skeletal fragments from a site in Germany provide evidence that humans, rather than Neanderthals, were responsible for a particular stone-tool industry called the Lincombian–Ranisian–Jerzmanowician.
  1. William E. Banks

    1. William E. Banks is in the CNRS, University of Bordeaux, Pessac 33615, France.

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Analyses of stone tools and human skeletal remains can help to determine whether specific excavated levels at archaeological sites are associated with Neanderthals or anatomically modern humans (with a body form similar to ours) during the period when both groups were present in Europe. Mylopotamitaki et al.1, writing in Nature, and Pederzani et al.2 and Smith et al.3, writing in Nature Ecology & Evolution, report their analyses of Ilsenhöhle, an archaeological site from this period near Ranis, Germany. The findings shed light on the environmental conditions there and identify the inhabitants linked to a widespread stone-tool industry in the region, for which the associated population was previously unknown.

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Nature 626, 264-265 (2024)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-00072-1

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The author declares no competing interests.

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