Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment

Palaeoproteomic investigation of archaeological sediments associated with ochre use in the Middle Stone Age of southern Africa

The African Middle Stone Age (MSA) represents the cultural and technological context associated with the emergence of Homo sapiens and the development of complex cognition. In this setting, ochre use is considered a multifaceted proxy for modern behaviour, allowing inferences abo...

Built for bulk: posture, microanatomy and soft tissue shaped gigantism in Sauropoda

Abstract Sauropodomorph dinosaurs show how appendicular skeletal architecture accommodated extreme increases in body mass. Although sauropod gigantism has been linked to columnar limbs, wide-gauge posture, thick articular cartilage and tubular long-bone organization, the biomecha...

Lebanese faunal legacy collections uncover 400,000 years of woodland resilience and distinct hominin ecological strategies

Abstract The Levant is a key biogeographic corridor, yet historical instability has limited research creating a polarization toward its southern region. To address this geographical bias, we reassessed three legacy faunal collections from Lebanon: Naame, Nahr Ibrahim, and Ras el-...

Development of the nasal capsule in Emydura subglobosa (Testudines: Pleurodira) with a comparison to other turtles

Abstract Extant turtles occupy freshwater, marine, and terrestrial habitats, and their nasal region provides important evidence for the evolution of respiration‐ and sensory‐related cranial morphology. However, developmental data on the turtle nasal capsule remain limited, partic...