The postcranial remains of the Régourdou 1 Neandertal: the shoulder and arm remains
Journal:
Journal of Human Evolution
Number:
Volume:
28
Year:
1995
Pages:
439-476
Keywords:
ISBN:
ISSN:
URL:
Abstract:
The Régourdou 1 partial skeleton, of a young adult of indeterminate sex from the initial last glacial of southwestern France, preserves both clavicles, humeri, radii and ulnae, with these bones for the right side lacking only the ulnar olecranon and styloid process. These shoulder and arm remains are similar to those of other European and Near Eastern late archaic humans (Neandertals) in having relatively high clavicular curvature, relatively large articulations, a low humeral torsion angle, pronounced muscular attachment areas (especially for the Mm. pectoralis major and pronator quadratus), a deep intertubercular sulcus, extension of the M. pectoralis major attachment distally to meet that of M. deltoideus, a dorsally deviated medial epicondyle, tear-drop shaped radial diaphysis, ulnae with blunt diaphyseal margins, a medially oriented radial tuberosity, a laterally bowed radial shaft, a relatively small coronoid process, and (relative to humeral length) long clavicles and short forearms. In addition, it exhibits consistent diaphyseal asymmetry with the right side being larger in most dimensions, following the pattern of right side dominance seen in most Neandertals. It documents the presence, at the beginning of the last glacial in western Europe, of the upper limb morphological pattern that is well-known for later "classic" Neandertals.
