Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38297138›Full record

ArticleNature ecology & evolution2024

The ecology, subsistence and diet of ~45,000-year-old Homo sapiens at Ilsenhöhle in Ranis, Germany.

Geoff M Smith, Karen Ruebens, Elena Irene Zavala, Virginie Sinet-Mathiot, Helen Fewlass, Sarah Pederzani, Klervia Jaouen, Dorothea Mylopotamitaki, Kate Britton, Hélène Rougier and 11 more

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature ecology & evolution, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
78.9field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 27 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Quick Analysis of Sedimentary Ancient DNA Using quicksand.Molecular biology and evolution · 2025
    Article
  3. A new late Neanderthal from Crimea reveals long-distance connections across Eurasia.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

21 authors at 12 institutions in 7 countries.

Geoff M SmithMax Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany. g.smith-548@kent.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7155-5140
Karen RuebensMax Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5621-5786
Elena Irene ZavalaDepartment of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7687-5370
Virginie Sinet-MathiotMax Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
Helen FewlassMax Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9093-3490
Sarah PederzaniMax Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
Klervia JaouenMax Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
Dorothea MylopotamitakiMax Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
Kate BrittonDepartment of Archaeology, School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland.
Hélène RougierDepartment of Anthropology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0358-0285
Mareike StahlschmidtMax Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
Matthias MeyerDepartment of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4760-558X
Harald MellerState Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt-State Museum of Prehistory, Halle, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7590-0375
Holger DietlState Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt-State Museum of Prehistory, Halle, Germany.
Jörg OrschiedtState Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt-State Museum of Prehistory, Halle, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3629-8251
Johannes KrauseDepartment of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9144-3920
Tim SchülerThuringian State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments and Archaeology, Weimar, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9190-8054
Shannon P McPherronDepartment of Human Origins, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2063-468X
Marcel WeissMax Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0778-5520
Jean-Jacques HublinMax Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
Frido WelkerGlobe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology · DECollège de France · FRCalifornia State University, Northridge · USCentre National de la Recherche Scientifique · FRFriedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg · DELandesamt für Archäologie Sachsen · DEThe Francis Crick Institute · GBUniversidad de La Laguna · ESUniversity of Aberdeen · GBUniversity of Copenhagen · DKUniversity of Kent · GBUniversity of Vienna · AT

Funding

EC | Horizon 2020 Framework Programme (EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation H2020) 101027850EC | Horizon 2020 Framework Programme (EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation H2020) 861389EC | Horizon 2020 Framework Programme (EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation H2020) 948365
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Recent excavations at Ranis (Germany) identified an early dispersal of Homo sapiens into the higher latitudes of Europe by 45,000 years ago. Here we integrate results from zooarchaeology, palaeoproteomics, sediment DNA and stable isotopes to characterize the ecology, subsistence and diet of these early H. sapiens. We assessed all bone remains (n = 1,754) from the 2016-2022 excavations through morphology (n = 1,218) or palaeoproteomics (zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry (n = 536) and species by proteome investigation (n = 212)). Dominant taxa include reindeer, cave bear, woolly rhinoceros and horse, indicating cold climatic conditions. Numerous carnivore modifications, alongside sparse cut-marked and burnt bones, illustrate a predominant use of the site by hibernating cave bears and denning hyaenas, coupled with a fluctuating human presence. Faunal diversity and high carnivore input were further supported by ancient mammalian DNA recovered from 26 sediment samples. Bulk collagen carbon and nitrogen stable isotope data from 52 animal and 10 human remains confirm a cold steppe/tundra setting and indicate a homogenous human diet based on large terrestrial mammals. This lower-density archaeological signature matches other Lincombian-Ranisian-Jerzmanowician sites and is best explained by expedient visits of short duration by small, mobile groups of pioneer H. sapiens.

Indexed as

ReindeerUrsidaeAnimalsBone and BonesDietDNADNA, AncientEuropeGermanyHorsesHumansInfant, NewbornMammalsNitrogen IsotopesDNADNA, AncientNitrogen Isotopes

Identifiers

PMID38297138
PMCPMC10927544
OpenAlexW4391383944

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.