Overview

A Middle Pleistocene Homo population from Nesher Ramla, Israel, dated ~140-120 kya. The fossils include a partial parietal bone and a nearly complete mandible that combine archaic and Neanderthal-like features. The parietal morphology is distinct from both H. sapiens and H. neanderthalensis, while the mandible lacks a chin and has archaic proportions. Associated Levallois stone tools are indistinguishable from those made by contemporary H. sapiens at nearby sites, suggesting possible cultural interaction. The discoverers propose this population may represent a late-surviving lineage of a Middle Pleistocene Homo group that was ancestral to Neanderthals and may have interbred with H. sapiens in the Levant.

Key Fossils

NR-1 parietal, NR-2 mandible

Brain Anatomy

No Cranial Data Available

No cranial remains or endocasts have been recovered for this species, so brain morphology cannot be directly assessed.

Tools & Technology

No Tool Associations

No stone tools have been directly associated with this species in the archaeological record.

Diet

Unknown; associated fauna suggests diverse subsistence

Phylogenetic Relationships

Related SpeciesRelationshipConfidenceNotes
Homo sapiens Contemporary Strong Contemporary with H. sapiens at nearby Levantine sites; shared Levallois technology
Homo neanderthalensis Possible ancestor Moderate Proposed by Hershkovitz et al. as a source population for Neanderthals

Key Specimens

SpecimenNameSiteYearAge (MYA)CompletenessSignificance
NR-1 Nesher Ramla parietal Nesher Ramla 2010 0.13 15.00% Partial parietal with archaic morphology distinct from H. sapiens and Neanderthals
NR-2 Nesher Ramla mandible Nesher Ramla 2010 0.13 80.00% Robust mandible lacking chin; archaic morphology with Neanderthal affinities

Explore all specimens and measurements →

Dating Evidence

MethodDate (MYA)UncertaintyMaterialSite / Specimen
U series 0.1300 ± 0.0100 Bovid tooth enamel from same stratum Nesher Ramla / NR-1

Scientific References

  1. Israel Hershkovitz, Gerhard W. Weber, Rachel Quam, Mathieu Duval, Rolf Grün, Leslie Kinsley, Ayelet Yarber, Omry Barzilai, Mina Weinstein-Evron, Noemi Sánchez-Mega, Alon Barash, Cinzia Fornai, et al. (2021). "A Middle Pleistocene Homo from Nesher Ramla, Israel". Science 372:1424-1428. DOI:10.1126/science.abh3169
  2. Yossi Zaidner, Laura Centi, Marion Prévost, Norbert Mercier, Christophe Falguères, Gilles Guérin, Hélène Valladas, Maïlys Richard, Alain Galy, Christophe Pécheyran, Omry Barzilai, Israel Hershkovitz, Rolf Grün (2021). "Middle Pleistocene Homo behavior and culture at 140,000-120,000 years ago and interactions with Homo sapiens". Science 372:1429-1432. DOI:10.1126/science.abh3020