Discontinuity of Human Presence at Atapuerca during the Early Middle Pleistocene: A Matter of Ecological Competition?

A new study suggests that the absence of human presence at Atapuerca during the early Middle Pleistocene (0.7–0.5 Ma) may be due to increased ecological competition rather than a true discontinuity in settlement. By comparing environmental conditions and resource availability between two key levels—TD8 (0.7–0.6 Ma, with no human evidence) and TD6-2 (a previously occupied period)—researchers found that survival opportunities for humans were significantly lower at TD8 due to heightened competition among secondary consumers. This challenges the long-standing debate on whether early European human settlement was continuous or fragmented, proposing ecological pressures as a plausible explanation.

Rodríguez-Gómez, G., Mateos, A., Martín-González, J. A., Blasco, R., Rosell, J., & Rodríguez, J. (2014). Discontinuity of Human Presence at Atapuerca during the Early Middle Pleistocene: A Matter of Ecological Competition? PLoS ONE, 9(7), e101938. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0101938