Facial reconstructions of two recently discovered 45,000-year-old late Neanderthal individuals from Corrèze, France.

Unearthed in the Grotte de la Placente, these remains reveal unprecedented traits and customs never before seen in Neanderthal specimens.🧵
Grotte de la Placente 2 carried the derived rs12821256 and rs12913832 alleles, associated with blonde hair and blue eyes.
Their presence predates the previously accepted TMRCA of ~35,000 years, challenging the consensus that these traits were exclusive to Homo sapiens.

What did the Yamnaya and related Steppe populations look like? 🧵

Let's break down the morphology of the Yamnaya and explore which modern populations they most closely resemble. Anthropologists classified the majority of Yamnaya as "Southeuropids" and "Paleoeuropids" – broad, non-ethnic classifications used for extinct populations.

Now, let's examine the typical morphological features of the Yamnaya, feature by feature:

Facial reconstructions of two Eastern Scythians from Arzhan 2, an early Scythian period site.

The Scythians of Arzhan 2 exhibited a mix of Caucasoid and Mongoloid morphological traits, with Caucasoid features usually predominating in males and Mongoloid features in females.
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The Scythian (Arzhan 2, Burial 20) possesses a high degree of Caucasoid traits, including a pronounced nasal bridge, lack of facial flatness, and a prominent brow ridge.

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Facial reconstructions of four of the major European phenotypes: the Mediterranid, the Alpinid, the Hallstatt Nordid, and the Ostbaltid.

Reconstructions commissioned by O.M. The Mediterranid is one of the most continuous European phenotypes. The type known today was largely introduced by the ENF, though there were non ENF examples as well, such as the WHG Combe Capelle.

It features gracile traits, a long face, meso-doli CI, and a tanned complexion.