New radiometric dates at Sima de los Huesos

[Daryl Habel]

The Sima de los Huesos (Atapuerca) hominids, previously assigned an estimated age of 200-320 kyr have been given a "firm lower limit" of 350 kyr and a "likely" age in the interval of 400-600 kyr. This from IDEAL FIRST ARTICLES:

http://www.idealibrary.com/links/doi/10.1006/jasc.2002.0834

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The Sima de los Huesos Hominids Date to Beyond U/Th Equilibrium (>350kyr) and Perhaps to 400-500kyr: New Radiometric Dates  
 
pp. 1-6 (doi:10.1006/jasc.2002.0834)  
James L. Bischoff1,  Donald D. Shamp1,  Arantza Aramburu2,  Juan Luis Arsuaga3,  Eudald Carbonell4,  J. M. Bermudez de Castro5  

1U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, U.S.A.
2Department of Mineralogy and Petrology, University of Basque Country, Sarriena s/n, 48940 Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
3Departamento de Paleontologia, Instituto de Geologia Económica, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
4Laboratori d'Arqueologia, Universitat rovira I Virgili, Plaza Imperial I, 43005, Terragona, Spain
Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, 5Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain  

(Received January 10, 2002; accepted February 25, 2002; published electronically July 25, 2002)
Abstract

The Sima de los Huesos site of the Atapuerca complex near Burgos, Spain contains the skeletal remains of at least 28 individuals in a mud breccia underlying an accumulation of the Middle Pleistocene cave bear (U. deningeri). Earlier dating estimates of 200 to 320kyr were based on U-series and ESR methods applied to bones, made inaccurate by unquantifiable uranium cycling. We report here on a new discovery within the Sima de los Huesos of human bones stratigraphically underlying an in situ speleothem. U-series analyses of the speleothem shows the lower part to be at isotopic U/Th equilibrium, translating to a firm lower limit of 350kyr for the SH hominids. Finite dates on the upper part suggest a speleothem growth rate of c.1cm/32kyr. This rate, along with paleontological constraints, place the likely age of the hominids in the interval of 400 to 600kyr. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Key Words:   ATAPUERCA, SIMA DE LOS HUESOS, MIDDLE PLEISTOCENE, URANIUM-SERIES

 

[lagarvelho]

Dar and all:

Do you or anybody else on this forum have either access or a subscription to the journal, so that you or they could share the PDF?
Anne G

[Daryl Habel]

Hi Anne,

Sorry I can't help there.  For me, no access to JASC other than the Ideal abstract.  I thought it interesting that the dating estimate had been pushed back in time at least 150-200 kyr to c. 350-400+ kyr BP.  All this while retaining the same described pre-Neanderthal morphological traits (well, they can't help but do that;-).

I'd also be interested if someone's willing and able to spread a copy around to interested folks.

Dar

[lagarvelho]

Dar:

I had a feeling you probably didn't have "full" access, but a very nice gentleman whose name I can't remember at the moment sent me a pdf attachment which I downloaded to my personal files(which was a sort of "effort" because I've been having to fiddle with my e-mail to make it work).  So if you or anybody else would like the pdf of this article, you h ave only to ask, and I will be glad to share.  

And(this is for Jacques, Greg, et al)it would be nice if you could get that Gallery section going, so I could upload things there, when I get them.
Anne G