Human bone of Lezetxiki, the oldest on the peninsula, next to those of Atapuerca
2014/12/11 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria
The study conducted by the University of Australia has confirmed that the humerus found in Lezetxiki (Arrasate) is 164,000 years old (approximately 9,000 years). José Miguel de Barandiarán and Jesús Altuna discovered this humerus 50 years ago and have since tried to date it. The high has indicated that he suspected that he would be more than 130,000 years old, since he was in a deep layer, but so far they have not been able to date accurately.
Rainer Grun, a geocronology expert at the University of Australia, has directed dating using the Uranic series method to determine the age of the humerus. In any case, dating is only a part of broader research, as they also intend to perform a genetic analysis of DNA. Then they will know, among other things, whether the bone was of a woman (they believe it) and what is its genetic relationship with other fossils found in the peninsula.
In fact, according to the morphometric study, the humerus of Lezetxiki holds great affinity with the fossils of the middle Pleistocene, among them that of the Osin of the Bones of Atapuerca. As they have explained, it is closer to them than to the Neanderthals. Genetic study will therefore help clarify these aspects.
Meanwhile, the humerus is located in the Goaz Center of the Basque Government, in Donostia.
