Zooarcheological evidence for the faunal exploitation behavior of neandertals and early modern humans

Curtis W. Marean, Zelalem Assefa

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

123 Scopus citations

Abstract

The study of the origins of modern humans continues to be a dynamic, quickly changing field, as shown by the recent extraction and analysis of DNA from the Meander Valley fossils. 1 The dynamic nature of the field partly arises from the clearly defined opposing models for the origins of modern humans, 2 and the spirited defense of the opposing models by the main protagonists in the debate. Although the "Out-of-Africa" and "Multiregional Continuity Models" are typically argued from the perspective of biological evolution, with the debates centering on anatomical and molecular evidence, the behavioral side of the question is of equal significance. Even though the anatomical record will always be a productive avenue for behavioral reconstruction, 3,4 archeology remains the major contributor to our understanding of the behavioral side of this debate.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)22-37
Number of pages16
JournalEvolutionary anthropology
Volume8
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 1999
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Early modern humans
  • Neandertals
  • Taphonomy
  • Zooarchaeology

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Anthropology

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