One of the interesting bits in terms of studying ancient fossils with new techniques is that we have a bunch already, sitting around in museum drawers worldwide, often compromised by study techniques that did not anticipate modern DNA detection (like liking old bones to estimate how old they were). Now that we have been estimates for the age of Neanderthals, know that Denisovans existed, and are quite certain there are further ghost populations that did not survive as groups but contributed to our genetic hoard, trying to get information out of those teeth and bones is likely important. John Hawks talks about what's new and what's old new/new-old, and old - plus what we should be looking for.
Half a hominin mandible was discovered in 1969, which would draw archaeologists’ attention to this part of the quarry, where they found the cave. By 2011, teams had uncovered many stone tools and ancient animal remains from the ThI-GH sediments. Under the leadership of Jean-Paul Raynal they reported some isolated hominin teeth in 2012, and in 2016, they described a human femur shaft fragment that had been chewed by a large carnivore, likely a hyena.
Other hominin remains recovered in the excavations from before 2011 are reported in the new study by Hublin and coworkers. They include a complete mandible excavated in 2008, ThI-GH-10717, and a series of vertebrae found near it that may represent the same individual. They also include a small section of juvenile mandible and teeth, ThI-GH-10978.
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