Creationism in Crisis - Scientists Have Reconstructed the Head And Face From the Skull of a 700,000 Year-Old Homo Heidelbergensis

Lateral view. Portrait of Homo heidelbergensis from Petralona, Greece, with hair and skin pigmentation.

Image credit: Aidonis et al., doi: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2023.104206.

Anthropologists Reconstruct Face of Homo heidelbergensis | Sci.News

Frontal view.

Image credit: Aidonis et al., doi: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2023.104206.

Skull of Homo heidelbergensis (the Petralona Skull)

Source: Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED)

The incidental refutation of basic creationist superstitions continues unabated this week.

Following the news that animal and human tracks carved in rocks in what is now Namibia in Southwest Africa, are twice as old as the Universe, according to creationists, comes news that scientists have reconstructed the head and face of an archaic hominin, Homo heidelbergensis, who lived between 700,000 and 200,000 years ago in Eurasia, and news that Neanderthals were hunting cave lions in Europe, 48,000 years ago (to be the subject of my next blog post).

But, given that 99.99% of the known history of the Universe occurred before it was created by magic out of nothing by a magic man made of nothing that popped up from nowhere, if we believe creationists, this is not in the least surprising. Almost all geology and palaeontology, and much of archaeology is concerned with this 'pre-creation' history.

The team who forensically reconstructed the face and head was led by Christina Papageorgopoulou of the Laboratory of Physical Anthropology, Department of History and Ethnology, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece, and included researchers from the Institute for Bio-Economy and Agri-Technology, Centre for Research & Technology Hellas, Greece and the Ephorate of Palaeoanthropology-Speleology, Ministry of Culture, Greece. First a little about H. heidelbergensis and how the Petralona Skull, used in the reconstruction, was dated to between 200,000 and 700,000 years old:

Tell me all about Homo heidelbergensis and the Petralona Skull. Homo heidelbergensis: Homo heidelbergensis is an extinct hominin species that lived approximately 600,000 to 200,000 years ago during the Middle Pleistocene epoch. This species is considered an important transitional stage in human evolution and is believed to be the common ancestor of both Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) and modern humans (Homo sapiens). Here are some key points about Homo heidelbergensis:

1. Fossil Discoveries: Fossils of Homo heidelbergensis have been discovered in various parts of the world, including Africa, Europe, and possibly Asia. Some of the most well-known sites include those in Heidelberg, Germany, where the species got its name, as well as sites in Atapuerca, Spain, and Dmanisi, Georgia.
2. Physical Characteristics: Homo heidelbergensis exhibited a mix of primitive and more modern traits. They had a large brain, similar in size to modern humans, with an average cranial capacity of around 1,200 to 1,400 cubic centimeters. They also had a robust build with a strong, muscular body, suggesting adaptation to a physically demanding lifestyle.
3. Tool Use: Homo heidelbergensis is associated with the Acheulean tool industry, known for its distinctive handaxes and cleavers. These tools were more advanced than earlier tool technologies and demonstrated an increased ability to shape stone.
4. Social Structure: It is believed that Homo heidelbergensis lived in social groups and may have had some form of complex social structure. They likely engaged in cooperative hunting and shared resources within their communities.
5. Hunting and Diet: Their robust physical features, combined with evidence of hunting and butchering large game animals, suggest that Homo heidelbergensis had a diet that included a significant portion of meat. This may have contributed to the development of their strong physique.

The Petralona Skull:

The Petralona Skull is a well-known fossil specimen of Homo heidelbergensis, discovered in 1960 in the Petralona Cave, located in Khalkidhiki, Greece. It is one of the most significant finds associated with this species. Here are some details about the Petralona Skull:

1. Discovery: The Petralona Skull was discovered by a Greek spelunker named Aris Poulianos in the Petralona Cave in 1960. It was found alongside various animal bones and stone tools, suggesting a complex and long history of habitation in the cave.
2. Characteristics: The Petralona Skull is a nearly complete adult cranium (excluding the lower jaw) that dates to between 200,000 and 700,000 years ago, placing it within the range of Homo heidelbergensis. The skull features some prominent brow ridges and a cranial capacity estimated to be around 1,100 cubic centimeters.
3. Controversy: The dating and classification of the Petralona Skull have been the subject of some controversy and debate. Initially, it was suggested that the specimen might be older and belong to a different species. However, the prevailing view among scientists is that it is indeed an example of Homo heidelbergensis.
4. Importance: The Petralona Skull contributes to our understanding of human evolution and the existence of Homo heidelbergensis in Europe. It provides valuable insights into the physical characteristics and morphology of this hominin species.

In summary, Homo heidelbergensis is a crucial species in the human evolutionary lineage, and the Petralona Skull is one of the notable fossil specimens associated with this species, offering valuable information about their physical characteristics and presence in Europe.

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How was the age of the Petralona Skull determined?

The age of the Petralona Skull was determined through a combination of dating methods, including both direct and indirect dating techniques. When it comes to dating hominin fossils like the Petralona Skull, various methods can be used to estimate its age, although these methods may not always yield precise results due to the limitations of dating ancient materials. Here are the primary techniques used to determine the age of the Petralona Skull:

1. Stratigraphy: Stratigraphy involves studying the layers of sediment or rock where the fossil was found. By analyzing the sequence of these layers, researchers can estimate the relative age of the fossil in comparison to the surrounding deposits. In the case of the Petralona Skull, its position within the sediment layers of the Petralona Cave provided important contextual information for dating.
2. Biostratigraphy: Biostratigraphy is a relative dating method that relies on the presence of specific fossilized species or assemblages found in the same geological layers. By comparing the fossil fauna found in the same strata as the Petralona Skull to those from other well-dated sites, scientists can make inferences about its age.
3. Radiometric Dating: In some cases, scientists use radiometric dating techniques to directly estimate the age of a fossil. However, it's important to note that the Petralona Skull itself could not be directly dated using radiometric methods because it lacks the necessary organic material (e.g., collagen) for radiocarbon dating, and the surrounding sediment may not contain suitable minerals for other radiometric dating methods.
4. Comparison with Other Fossils: The age of the Petralona Skull has been estimated through comparisons with other fossils found in nearby sites or within the same geological context. By examining the ages of these other fossils, researchers can make reasonable inferences about the age of the Petralona Skull.

It's worth mentioning that dating ancient fossils and archaeological sites can be challenging, and the age estimates often have a margin of error. In the case of the Petralona Skull, its age has been estimated to fall within a range of approximately 200,000 to 700,000 years ago based on these dating methods and comparisons with other findings. The wide range reflects the challenges of dating ancient materials and the limitations of the available dating techniques.

Because the Petralona skull is missing the lower jaw, the team used the Maur jaw from the earliest discovered remains of H. heidelbergensis (the holotype specimen of H. heidelbergensis).

To reconstruct the face, the team used a digitized 3D scan of a cast of the skull, which is housed in the British Museum. The facial skeleton id free from damage and unaffected by the small amount of damage to the real of the vault and the temporal bones.

According to the team:

According to its sexually dimorphic characteristics, it belongs to a man. Cranial sutures closure indicates a young age, probably no older than 35 years. Body mass has been estimated to 52 kg.

The facial skeleton of the Petralona skull is intact and undistorted. Slight deformation observed in the rear of the vault and the temporal bones does not affect the morphology of the face. However, the skull lacks the mandible.

This fossil is one of the oldest recovered in Europe and has been dated to 609,000 years. Its morphology aggregates primitive (wide ramus, massive body without mental eminence) and derived features (moderate size of the teeth).

Quoted in SciNews

The team have published their results in the online Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports:

Abstract

The human face is a highly specialized anatomical entity. Its appearance is a result of evolutionary processes that include biomechanical, physiological, and social influences. The facial approximation is based on the relevance of skeletal and soft tissue anatomy and aims to reconstruct a person's face from the anatomical features of the skull. In forensics, the technique focuses on the estimation of the facial characteristics of unidentified individuals. In archaeological contexts, it has been widely used for the representation of hominins, prehistoric and historic periods individuals. For the facial approximation of the Petralona man, we digitized a cast of the original skull with an Artec Spider 3D scanner of metrological accuracy up to 0.05mm. A digital model of the Mauer mandible (Germany), the holotype of Homo heidelbergensis, was used to virtually complement the skeletal anatomy of the face. Cinema4D (Maxon) was used to place soft tissue depth markers according to standard nomenclature. The digital reconstruction of facial anatomy and skin texture was developed in ZBrush (Pixologic). The facial features were approximated with the use of techniques that are based on anatomical and/or statistical evidence. The facial approximation of the Petralona skull aims to disseminate scientific information and contribute to the public understanding of evolutionary science.

Aidonis, Asterios; Achillas, Charisios; Tzetzis, Dimitrios; Athanassiou, Athanassios; Karkazi, Elli; Darlas, Andreas; Papageorgopoulou, Christina (2023)
Digital 3D facial approximation of the Petralona skull. Methodological issues and applications
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 51 104206. DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2023.104206

n © 2023 Elsevier Ltd.
Reprinted under the terms of s60 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Note that scientists accept that the different dating methods give slightly different results and that they all have a margin of error, hence they have dated the Petralona skull to between 200,000 and 7000,000 years old. Creationists who want to use their tradition dismissal of the dates of specimens because, so they've been fooled into believing, the dating methods scientists use are flawed, must account for a margin of error of several orders of magnitude, where 10,000 years can look like 700,000 years.

But it gets even worse for them; they have to explain why there are these archaic hominins in the first place, since they believe modern humans were magically created as we are today, without ancestors and that death didn't enter the world until shortly after this creation event.

Their problem is compounded further by the fact that without a founder couple committing the 'Original sin' there is no need for forgiveness and redemption, so no need for Jesus and no role for the Christian superstition in modern cultures.

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