Inner structural organization of the mandibular corpus in the late Early Pleistocene human specimens Tighenif 1 and Tighenif 2

Lisa Genochio , Arnaud Mazurier (1) , Jean Dumoncel (2) , Charlotte E.G. Theye , Clément Zanolli (3)

1 IC2MP [Poitiers] - Institut de chimie des milieux et matériaux de Poitiers [UMR 7285]
2 AMIS - Anthropologie Moléculaire et Imagerie de Synthèse
3 PACEA - De la Préhistoire à l'Actuel : Culture, Environnement et Anthropologie

The present study investigates the inner structural organization of the two mandible specimens Tighenif 1 and Tighenif 2 from the late Early Pleistocene site of Tighenif, Algeria. Using (micro)tomographic scans, we built a new protocol to investigate the cortical bone topography at post-canine level. We selected two cross-sectional slices placed between the P3/P4 and M1/M2 on the right and left sides and assessed the cortical bone thickness topography (CBT) on each slice. Our analyses demonstrate that the mandibles from Tighenif exhibit higher CBT and a different topographic distribution pattern at the molar level than in modern humans, resulting in a proportionally more robust inner structure, while a similar signal is observed between the fossil and extant specimens at the premolar level. Further studies need to be done in order to determine if this feature is related to functional constraints during mastication or paramasticatory activities; or if it is related to any independent evolutionary process. RESUME Cette étude examine l'organisation structurale interne des deux spécimens mandibulaires Tighenif 1 et Tighenif 2 du site du début du Pléistocène inférieur final de Tighenif, en Algérie. En utilisant des scans (micro)tomographiques, nous avons construit un nouveau protocole afin d'étudier la topographie de l'os cortical au niveau des dents jugales. Deux coupes transversales ont été sélectionnées et placées entre les P3/P4 et M1/M2 gauches et droites afin d'y évaluer

Domaines: Paléontologie; Anthropologie biologique

Lisa Genochio, Arnaud Mazurier, Jean Dumoncel, Charlotte E.G. Theye, Clément Zanolli. Inner structural organization of the mandibular corpus in the late Early Pleistocene human specimens Tighenif 1 and Tighenif 2. Comptes Rendus. Palevol, 2019, ⟨10.1016/j.crpv.2019.09.002⟩. ⟨hal-02379305⟩