Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont

The inner ear of Neanderthals reveals clues about their enigmatic origin

A study led by Alessandro Urciuoli and Mercedes Conde-Valverde found that the morphological diversity of Neanderthals' semicircular canals is lower than previously thought, suggesting a bottleneck event. This challenges the theory that Neanderthals originated after a significant genetic diversity loss.

SourceInstitut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 20, 2025

Described in Mallorca the world's oldest ancestor of mammals

A nearly complete leg and well-preserved fossils from a small to medium-sized carnivorous animal were found in Mallorca. The discovery, dating back 270 million years, sheds light on the evolution of mammals.

SourceInstitut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont·JournalNature Communications·TypeObservational study·DateDec 17, 2024

A new primate species at the root of the tree of extant hominoids

Researchers describe a new genus and species, Pliobates cataloniae, with characteristics similar to extant hominoids, overturning previous theories on gibbon origins. The fossil find provides clues about the origin of extant gibbons and their evolutionary relationships.

SourceInstitut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont·JournalScience·DateOct 29, 2015