Life history and ancestry of the late Upper Palaeolithic infant from Grotta delle Mura, Italy

Abstract The biological aspects of infancy within late Upper Palaeolithic populations and the role of southern refugia at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum are not yet fully understood. This study presents a multidisciplinary, high temporal resolution investigation of an Upper Palaeolithic infant...

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Main Authors: Owen Alexander Higgins, Alessandra Modi, Costanza Cannariato, Maria Angela Diroma, Federico Lugli, Stefano Ricci, Valentina Zaro, Stefania Vai, Antonino Vazzana, Matteo Romandini, He Yu, Francesco Boschin, Luigi Magnone, Matteo Rossini, Giovanni Di Domenico, Fabio Baruffaldi, Gregorio Oxilia, Eugenio Bortolini, Elena Dellù, Adriana Moroni, Annamaria Ronchitelli, Sahra Talamo, Wolfgang Müller, Mauro Calattini, Alessia Nava, Cosimo Posth, Martina Lari, Luca Bondioli, Stefano Benazzi, David Caramelli
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-09-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51150-x
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author Owen Alexander Higgins
Alessandra Modi
Costanza Cannariato
Maria Angela Diroma
Federico Lugli
Stefano Ricci
Valentina Zaro
Stefania Vai
Antonino Vazzana
Matteo Romandini
He Yu
Francesco Boschin
Luigi Magnone
Matteo Rossini
Giovanni Di Domenico
Fabio Baruffaldi
Gregorio Oxilia
Eugenio Bortolini
Elena Dellù
Adriana Moroni
Annamaria Ronchitelli
Sahra Talamo
Wolfgang Müller
Mauro Calattini
Alessia Nava
Cosimo Posth
Martina Lari
Luca Bondioli
Stefano Benazzi
David Caramelli
author_facet Owen Alexander Higgins
Alessandra Modi
Costanza Cannariato
Maria Angela Diroma
Federico Lugli
Stefano Ricci
Valentina Zaro
Stefania Vai
Antonino Vazzana
Matteo Romandini
He Yu
Francesco Boschin
Luigi Magnone
Matteo Rossini
Giovanni Di Domenico
Fabio Baruffaldi
Gregorio Oxilia
Eugenio Bortolini
Elena Dellù
Adriana Moroni
Annamaria Ronchitelli
Sahra Talamo
Wolfgang Müller
Mauro Calattini
Alessia Nava
Cosimo Posth
Martina Lari
Luca Bondioli
Stefano Benazzi
David Caramelli
author_sort Owen Alexander Higgins
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The biological aspects of infancy within late Upper Palaeolithic populations and the role of southern refugia at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum are not yet fully understood. This study presents a multidisciplinary, high temporal resolution investigation of an Upper Palaeolithic infant from Grotta delle Mura (Apulia, southern Italy) combining palaeogenomics, dental palaeohistology, spatially-resolved geochemical analyses, direct radiocarbon dating, and traditional anthropological studies. The skeletal remains of the infant – Le Mura 1 – were directly dated to 17,320-16,910 cal BP. The results portray a biological history of the infant’s development, early life, health and death (estimated at ~72 weeks). They identify, several phenotypic traits and a potential congenital disease in the infant, the mother’s low mobility during gestation, and a high level of endogamy. Furthermore, the genomic data indicates an early spread of the Villabruna-like components along the Italian peninsula, confirming a population turnover around the time of the Last Glacial Maximum, and highlighting a general reduction in genetic variability from northern to southern Italy. Overall, Le Mura 1 contributes to our better understanding of the early stages of life and the genetic puzzle in the Italian peninsula at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum.
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spelling doaj-art-7cfd9af8a7044fda9dda11af1320efdf2024-11-24T12:33:00ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232024-09-0115111610.1038/s41467-024-51150-xLife history and ancestry of the late Upper Palaeolithic infant from Grotta delle Mura, ItalyOwen Alexander Higgins0Alessandra Modi1Costanza Cannariato2Maria Angela Diroma3Federico Lugli4Stefano Ricci5Valentina Zaro6Stefania Vai7Antonino Vazzana8Matteo Romandini9He Yu10Francesco Boschin11Luigi Magnone12Matteo Rossini13Giovanni Di Domenico14Fabio Baruffaldi15Gregorio Oxilia16Eugenio Bortolini17Elena Dellù18Adriana Moroni19Annamaria Ronchitelli20Sahra Talamo21Wolfgang Müller22Mauro Calattini23Alessia Nava24Cosimo Posth25Martina Lari26Luca Bondioli27Stefano Benazzi28David Caramelli29Department of Cultural Heritage, University of BolognaDepartment of Biology, University of FlorenceDepartment of Biology, University of FlorenceDepartment of Biology, University of FlorenceDepartment of Cultural Heritage, University of BolognaDepartment of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment - RU of Prehistory and Anthropology, University of SienaDepartment of Biology, University of FlorenceDepartment of Biology, University of FlorenceDepartment of Cultural Heritage, University of BolognaDepartment of Cultural Heritage, University of BolognaState Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking UniversityDepartment of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment - RU of Prehistory and Anthropology, University of SienaDepartment of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment - RU of Prehistory and Anthropology, University of SienaDepartment of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment - RU of Prehistory and Anthropology, University of SienaDepartment of Physics and Earth Science, University of FerraraLaboratory of Medical Technology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico RizzoliDepartment of Translational Medicine and for Romagna, University of FerraraDepartment of Cultural Heritage, University of BolognaInstitute Villa Adriana e Villa d’Este, Superintendence of Archeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the metropolitan city of Bari - Ministry of CultureDepartment of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment - RU of Prehistory and Anthropology, University of SienaDepartment of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment - RU of Prehistory and Anthropology, University of SienaDepartment of Chemistry G. Ciamician, University of BolognaInstitut für Geowissenschaften, Goethe-Universität FrankfurtDepartment of History and Cultural Heritage, University of SienaDepartment of Odontostomatological and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of RomeArchaeo- and Palaeogenetics, Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Department of Geosciences, University of TübingenDepartment of Biology, University of FlorenceDepartment of Cultural Heritage, University of BolognaDepartment of Cultural Heritage, University of BolognaDepartment of Biology, University of FlorenceAbstract The biological aspects of infancy within late Upper Palaeolithic populations and the role of southern refugia at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum are not yet fully understood. This study presents a multidisciplinary, high temporal resolution investigation of an Upper Palaeolithic infant from Grotta delle Mura (Apulia, southern Italy) combining palaeogenomics, dental palaeohistology, spatially-resolved geochemical analyses, direct radiocarbon dating, and traditional anthropological studies. The skeletal remains of the infant – Le Mura 1 – were directly dated to 17,320-16,910 cal BP. The results portray a biological history of the infant’s development, early life, health and death (estimated at ~72 weeks). They identify, several phenotypic traits and a potential congenital disease in the infant, the mother’s low mobility during gestation, and a high level of endogamy. Furthermore, the genomic data indicates an early spread of the Villabruna-like components along the Italian peninsula, confirming a population turnover around the time of the Last Glacial Maximum, and highlighting a general reduction in genetic variability from northern to southern Italy. Overall, Le Mura 1 contributes to our better understanding of the early stages of life and the genetic puzzle in the Italian peninsula at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51150-x
spellingShingle Owen Alexander Higgins
Alessandra Modi
Costanza Cannariato
Maria Angela Diroma
Federico Lugli
Stefano Ricci
Valentina Zaro
Stefania Vai
Antonino Vazzana
Matteo Romandini
He Yu
Francesco Boschin
Luigi Magnone
Matteo Rossini
Giovanni Di Domenico
Fabio Baruffaldi
Gregorio Oxilia
Eugenio Bortolini
Elena Dellù
Adriana Moroni
Annamaria Ronchitelli
Sahra Talamo
Wolfgang Müller
Mauro Calattini
Alessia Nava
Cosimo Posth
Martina Lari
Luca Bondioli
Stefano Benazzi
David Caramelli
Life history and ancestry of the late Upper Palaeolithic infant from Grotta delle Mura, Italy
Nature Communications
title Life history and ancestry of the late Upper Palaeolithic infant from Grotta delle Mura, Italy
title_full Life history and ancestry of the late Upper Palaeolithic infant from Grotta delle Mura, Italy
title_fullStr Life history and ancestry of the late Upper Palaeolithic infant from Grotta delle Mura, Italy
title_full_unstemmed Life history and ancestry of the late Upper Palaeolithic infant from Grotta delle Mura, Italy
title_short Life history and ancestry of the late Upper Palaeolithic infant from Grotta delle Mura, Italy
title_sort life history and ancestry of the late upper palaeolithic infant from grotta delle mura italy
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51150-x
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