Mousterian human fossils from El Castillo cave (Puente Viesgo, Cantabria, Spain).

Newly identified Mousterian human fossils from El Castillo cave, part of the UNESCO-listed Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain, provide insights into Middle Paleolithic populations. The remains include a second premolar (Castillo-1466), a proximal hand phalanx, and a partial femoral head, dated to Marine Isotope Stages 4 and early 3. The premolar exhibits Neanderthal-like crown dimensions but with notably thicker enamel compared to other Neanderthal teeth, suggesting unique masticatory or paramasticatory adaptations. While the phalanx and femoral head lack diagnostic features for definitive taxonomic attribution, their context aligns them with Neanderthals based on layer dating. This study contributes to understanding human diversity in Northern Spain during this period.

Garralda, M. D., Le Cabec, A., Maíllo-Fernández, J.-M., Maureille, B., Gunz, P., Neira, A., Hublin, J.-J., & Bernaldo de Quirós, F. (2023). Mousterian human fossils from El Castillo cave (Puente Viesgo, Cantabria, Spain) [JB]. Journal of Anthropological Sciences, 101, 123–142. https://doi.org/10.4436/JASS.10021