Researchers have unearthed significant Neanderthal dental remains at Arbreda Cave, part of the Reclau Caves complex in the Prehistoric Caves Park of Serinyà, Girona, northeastern Spain. The study, published in the American Journal of Biological Anthropology, was led by Dr. Marina Lozano of IPHES-CERCA and involved collaboration with insтιтutions including the Catalan Insтιтute of Research in Cultural Heritage (ICRPC-CERCA) and the University of Girona.
Juvenile Neanderthal tooth recovered from the Arbreda cave site. Credit: M. Lozano et al., American Journal of Biological Anthropology (2024), CC BY-NC 4.0
The team identified three teeth belonging to at least three Neanderthal individuals: an infant, a juvenile, and an adult. Two teeth, retrieved from Level N of the cave, are estimated to be over 120,000 years old, while the third, from Level J, dates to between 71,000 and 44,000 years ago. These findings mark two distinct periods of Neanderthal habitation at the site.
Advanced techniques such as microtomography (µCT) were used to generate detailed 3D models of the teeth, revealing features such as enamel thickness, the enamel-dentin junction (EDJ), and pulp cavity volume. Dr. Lozano said:
“The remains allow us to obtain more information about Neanderthals’ presence in Arbreda at different times, including a period close to their extinction when they may have coexisted with modern humans.”
An adult Neanderthal tooth recovered from the Arbreda Cave. Credit: M. Lozano et al., American Journal of Biological Anthropology (2024), CC BY-NC 4.0
Arbreda Cave has played a pivotal role in the study of the transition from the Middle to the Upper Paleolithic in Western Europe. First excavated in 1972, it contains cultural layers spanning from the Middle Paleolithic to the Neolithic. The site has yielded Mousterian tools, typically ᴀssociated with Neanderthals, and evidence of long-term and seasonal occupations.
The earlier occupations, ᴀssociated with Level N, reflect extended Neanderthal habitation, while Level J’s findings suggest shorter, seasonal stays. These patterns may indicate shifts in subsistence strategies and adaptation to environmental changes, as noted by Dr. Joaquim Soler of ICRPC-CERCA, a co-director of the excavations:
“Arbreda Cave is fundamental for understanding Neanderthal presence in Catalonia and their eventual replacement by modern humans. These findings show that their occupations here were much more prolonged than previously thought.”
Reconstruction of a Neanderthal family in the Anthropos Pavilion, Brno, Czech Republic. Credit: Jaroslav A. Polák, via Flickr
The Iberian Peninsula hosts numerous sites with Mousterian levels, yet many yield only sparse human remains. The Arbreda findings contribute significantly to the paleoanthropological record, particularly regarding the lifestyles of late Neanderthals.
The researchers suggest that the Neanderthals at Arbreda adapted to climatic and environmental shifts, alternating between prolonged and short-term cave occupations. This adaptability might have played a role in their resilience, even as they approached extinction. The Level J premolar is especially noteworthy, representing a time when Neanderthals may have interacted with anatomically modern humans in the Iberian Peninsula.
IPHES-CERCA
More information: Lozano, M., Soler, J., López-Onaindia, D., Solés, A., Julià, R., Ceperuelo, D., … Soler, N. (2024). Middle Pleistocene teeth from Arbreda Cave (Serinyà, northeastern Iberian Peninsula). American Journal of Biological Anthropology, e25037. doi:10.1002/ajpa.25037
