DENTAL REMAINS FROM THE MIDDLE PALEOLITHIC LAYERS OF ALTAI CAVE SITES

Two Middle Paleolithic cave sites in the Altai - Okladnikov and Chagyrskaya - have yielded dental remains (mostly isolated teeth) of individuals of various ages. A newly discovered mandibular fragment with teeth from Chagyrskaya Cave reveals a Neanderthal trait combination: anterior fossa and epicristid (midtrigonid crest) on molars, metaconid and crest on premolars. The totality of dental traits support the conclusion previously drawn on the basis of postcranial characters: Altai Neanderthals appear to be intermediate between other Eurasian Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans.