Miguelón, also known as ‘skull number 5’, the best preserved in the world from the Paleolithic Age, has added a new fragment to his famous skull. The finding has been announced coinciding with International Museum Day, and in the most original way: through Miguelón’s own Twitter account (named after the Spanish cyclist Miguel Induráin): “I am the skull 5, the best preserved in the world and I have Telegram ”, you can read in its description.
The discovery consists of a new parietal bone found in the Sima de los Huesos de Atapuerca. “Paleontologists are reconstructing the skeletons of some thirty individuals with thousands of fossil remains. It is the great puzzle of our Atapuerca history ”, adds ‘Miguelón’, through his Twitter account.
Skull number 5, which is on display, has been scanned several times by scientists. Today’s discovery adds one more piece to the world’s best-preserved Paleolithic skull.
On the Sima de los Huesos
One of the most surprising discoveries of Atapuerca is the cave called ‘Sima de los Huesos’, where more than 1600 human fossils have been found, including several almost complete skulls, such as that of ‘Miguelón’. The age of this material is at least 300,000 years and can be up to 600,000 years.
Brain sizes are within the range of both Neanderthals ( H. neanderthalensis ) and modern humans. Skeletons possess several features unique to Neanderthals, including a prominent midface, long, narrow pubic bones, and thick finger bones. However, unlike later Neanderthals, they do not fully express the characteristic shape of Neanderthals.
The site also housed a 430,000-year-old fractured skull, the first evidence of interpersonal violence in Homo.
