| description |
In western Europe, the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition is associated with the disappearance of Neandertals and the spread of Anatomically Modern Humans (AMHs). Current chronological, behavioural and biological models of this transitional period hinge on the Châtelperronian technocomplex. At the site of the Grotte du Renne, Arcy-sur-Cure, morphological Neandertal specimens are not directly dated but contextually associated to the Châtelperronian, which contains colorants, bone points and beads. The association between Neandertals and this ‘transitional’ assemblage has been controversial, because of the lack of either a direct hominin radiocarbon date or molecular confirmation of the Neandertal affiliation. Here we provide further evidence for a Neandertal-Châtelperronian association at the Grotte du Renne through biomolecular and chronological analysis. We identified 28 additional hominin specimens through ZooMS (Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry) screening of morphologically uninformative bone specimens at the Grotte du Renne. Next, we obtain an ancient hominin bone proteome through LC-MS/MS analysis, while employing multiple approaches to minimize and monitor exogenous protein contamination. This allowed us to identify a peptide in the COL10α1 protein with an archaic-derived amino acid sequence, thereby distinguishing Late Pleistocene clades within the genus Homo based on ancient protein evidence. We establish the Neandertal status of the identified hominin specimens by obtaining ancient mtDNA sequences which are consistent with the taxonomic identification obtained through the amino acid sequence data. Direct AMS radiocarbon dating and Bayesian modeling confirm that the hominin specimens date to the Châtelperronian at the Grotte du Renne. |