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Shunkov M.V., Kozlikin M.B.

Paleolithic inhabitants of Denisova Cave

Based on paleogenetic analysis of anthropological remains from Denisova Cave in Altai Mountains, a previously unknown population of fossil people, the Denisovans, was discovered, and a complex picture of their interaction with Neanderthals was established. Currently, 17 skeletal remains of Paleolithic hominins discovered in the cave have been identified, and fragments of ancient human DNA have been isolated from its Pleistocene deposits. This work is devoted to the characteristics of the Denisova Cave inhabitants based on a comprehensive analysis of currently known paleoanthropological and paleogenetic data. We show that the oldest human remains in Altai were found in the basal deposits of the Denisova Cave. They belong to the Denisovans, hominins that share a common ancestor with Neanderthals but a different population history. The lower culture-bearing layers with finds from the initial stage of the Middle Paleolithic contain fragments of genomes that differ from the Denisovan genomes from the overlying sediments, indicating the existence of two different populations of Denisovans. The earliest evidence of the appearance of Neanderthals in Altai was also found in Denisova Cave. A complete genome sequence was isolated from the phalanx of the foot, which received the conditional name Altai Neanderthal. Between the populations of Neanderthals and Denisovans in Altai, there was a regular exchange of genetic material.

Key words: Altai, Denisova Cave, Paleolithic, Pleistocene, Denisovans, Neanderthals, paleogenetics, paleoanthropology.

Shirobokov I.G., Pavlova M.S.

The impact of aging method on the age-at-death distribution: A case of medieval Staraya Ladoga skeletal sample

The problem of estimating age-at-death structures using different methods is examined through the medieval skeletal sample from Staraya Ladoga. A comparative analysis of age estimates obtained using traditional age determination methods and a new method proposed by a group of British and American researchers, Transition Analysis 3 (TA3), was carried out. The skeletal distributions were compared with those based on data from preindustrial societies. The age-at-death distributions under TA3 showed significant similarity to data from Russia in the second half of the 19th century. The average age of death estimated within the traditional approach was 24,6 years, and among those who died older than 15 years, it was 41,1 years. The adjusted estimates from TA3 were 27,7 and 48,4 years, respectively. Employing the regression model proposed by J.P. Bocquet-Appel, a rough estimate of the life expectancy (e0) of medieval inhabitants of Staraya Ladoga was derived, considering the juvenility index and the estimated rate of natural increase. The most likely value of the e0 is in the range of 22–30 years.

Keywords: paleodemography, age estimation methods, Staraya Ladoga, preservation of skeletons, Transition Analysis 3.