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Un equipo de científicos descubre en Francia un linaje desconocido que pudo extenderse por la costa mediterránea y que pasó 50.000 años completamente aislado.

A team of scientists in France discovers an unknown lineage that may have spread along the Mediterranean coast and spent 50,000 years in complete isolation. 

A team of scientists in France discovers an unknown lineage that could have spread along the Mediterranean coast and spent 50,000 years completely isolated.

Tras nueve años de estudio para intentar encajar unas pruebas que parecían incompatibles, un equipo de arqueólogos presenta a Thorin, uno de los últimos neandertales. El análisis de ADN de los restos, hallados en 2015 en la gruta de Mandrin, en el valle del Ródano (Francia), muestra que este individuo masculino de unos 50 años pertenecía a un linaje desconocido hasta ahora. 

After nine years of study to try to fit together seemingly incompatible evidence, a team of archaeologists presents Thorin, one of the last Neanderthals. DNA analysis of the remains, found in 2015 in the Mandrin cave in the Rhone Valley (France), shows that this male individual of about 50 years of age belonged to a hitherto unknown lineage. 

After nine years of studying to try to fit some evidence that seemed incompatible, a team of archaeologists presents Thorin, one of the last Neanderthals. DNA analysis of the remains, found in 2015 in the cave of Mandrin, in the Rhone Valley (France), shows that this male individual of about 50 years belonged to a lineage unknown until now.

Los datos apuntan a que este grupo pasó 50.000 años aislado genéticamente de cualquier otro. Su antigüedad, de unos 45.000 años, sitúa a Thorin como uno de los últimos neandertales que vivieron antes de la extinción total de esta especie, la más cercana a la nuestra, el Homo sapiens. El hallazgo arroja un sinfín de preguntas sobre la mente y la cultura de los neandertales, y su desaparición, que nos convirtió en la única especie humana del planeta.

The data suggest that this group spent 50,000 years genetically isolated from any other group. Its age, about 45,000 years, places Thorin as one of the last Neanderthals who lived before the total extinction of this species, the closest to our own, Homo sapiens. The finding raises a host of questions about the mind and culture of the Neanderthals, and their disappearance, which made us the only human species on the planet. 

The data suggests that this group spent 50,000 years genetically isolated from any other. Its age, about 45,000 years, places Thorin as one of the last Neanderthals to live before the total extinction of this species, the closest to ours, Homo sapiens. The find throws up endless questions about the mind and culture of Neanderthals, and their demise, which made us the only human species on the planet. 

“¿Buscaban deliberadamente el aislamiento? Sí, eso creo”, reconoce a este diario el paleoantropólogo Ludovic Slimak, veterano investigador del abrigo de Mandrin y coautor del estudio, publicado en Cell Genomics. El paleontropólogo francés adelantó este hallazgo en julio en una entrevista en EL PAÍS.

"Were they deliberately seeking isolation? Yes, I think so," acknowledges paleoanthropologist Ludovic Slimak, a veteran researcher at the Mandrin shelter and co-author of the study, published in Cell Genomics, to this newspaper. The French paleoanthropologist announced this finding in July in an interview in EL PAÍS. 

“Were they deliberately seeking isolation? Yes, I think so, "says paleoanthropologist Ludovic Slimak, a veteran researcher of Mandrin's coat and co-author of the study, published in Cell Genomics. The French paleontropologist advanced this finding in July in an interview in EL PAÍS. 

Hasta ahora, solo se conocía un único grupo de neandertales en esta cronología tan cercana a su extinción, hace unos 40.000 años. Thorin pertenecería a un segundo grupo poblacional que se originó hace unos 100.000 años, cuando Europa era relativamente cálida y cubierta de bosques. Pero el terreno donde se halló la mandíbula data de hace unos 45.000 años. Los investigadores han tardado todo este tiempo en explicar estos dos datos aparentemente irreconciliables. 

Until now, only a single group of Neanderthals was known in this chronology so close to their extinction, about 40,000 years ago. Thorin would belong to a second population group that originated about 100,000 years ago, when Europe was relatively warm and forested. But the site where the jawbone was found dates back some 45,000 years. It has taken researchers all this time to explain these two seemingly irreconcilable facts. 

Until now, only a single group of Neanderthals was known in this chronology so close to their extinction, about 40,000 years ago. Thorin would belong to a second population group that originated about 100,000 years ago, when Europe was relatively warm and covered with forests. But the terrain where the jaw was found dates back to about 45,000 years ago. Researchers have taken all this time to explain these two seemingly irreconcilable data. 

La razón es que esta segunda rama del árbol de familia neandertal habría permanecido completamente aislada genéticamente. Y esto fue así a pesar de que Mandrin estaba a unos 10 días andando de otro clan neandertal. En aquella época, Europa ya estaba sumida en la glaciación y el paisaje era una gran estepa herbácea. El linaje de Thorin habría formado un pequeño grupo en esa primera fase de hace 100.000 años y después habría quedado aislado hasta su desaparición. Para Slimak, este hallazgo ofrece una ventana única para entender la mente neandertal y contraponerla a la sapiens.

The reason is that this second branch of the Neanderthal family tree would have remained completely genetically isolated. And this was despite the fact that Mandrin was about 10 days' walk from another Neanderthal clan. At that time, Europe was already immersed in glaciation and the landscape was a large grassy steppe. Thorin's lineage would have formed a small group in that first phase 100,000 years ago and then would have remained isolated until its disappearance. For Slimak, this finding offers a unique window to understand the Neanderthal mind and contrast it with the sapiens. 

The reason is that this second branch of the Neanderthal family tree would have remained completely genetically isolated. And this was so even though Mandrin was about a 10-day walk from another Neanderthal clan. At that time, Europe was already mired in glaciation and the landscape was a large herbaceous steppe. Thorin's lineage would have formed a small group in that first phase 100,000 years ago and then would have been isolated until its disappearance. For Slimak, this finding offers a unique window to understand the Neanderthal mind and contrast it with sapiens. 

“Vemos pequeños grupos que, al final, no están aislados, sino que viven de acuerdo con sus propias concepciones”, argumenta. “Y parecen estar bien así, pequeños grupos habitando sus pequeños valles. De alguna manera, es deslumbrante”.

"We see small groups that, in the end, are not isolated, but live according to their own conceptions," he argues. "And they seem to be fine like that, small groups inhabiting their little valleys. In some ways, it's dazzling." 

"We see small groups that, in the end, are not isolated, but live according to their own conceptions," he argues. "And they seem to be fine like that, small groups inhabiting their small valleys. In a way, it's dazzling. ”