Metodo innovativo Uranio-Torio conferma l’età del fossile greco che per 60 anni ha diviso la comunità scientifica
Un team internazionale di ricercatori ha risolto uno dei più grandi enigmi della paleoantropologia europea.
Il cranio di Petralona, scoperto nel 1960 nella famosa grotta greca e considerato un fossile chiave per comprendere l’evoluzione umana nel continente, ha finalmente ricevuto una datazione precisa[1].
Lo studio, pubblicato sul Journal of Human Evolution, ha determinato un’età minima di 286 ± 9 mila anni per questo importante reperto[1].
Datazione Uranio-Torio risolve decenni di controversie
La ricerca, coordinata da Christophe Falguères del Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle di Parigi, ha applicato per la prima volta la tecnica di datazione Uranio-Torio (U-series) direttamente sulla calcite cresciuta sopra il cranio[1].
Questo metodo radiometrico, particolarmente efficace per materiali di età compresa tra 50.000 e 500.000 anni, ha permesso di stabilire che il fossile appartiene al tardo Pleistocene medio, precisamente tra 277 e 300 mila anni fa[2][3].
La datazione Uranio-Torio si basa sul decadimento radioattivo dell’uranio-234 in torio-230, sfruttando il fatto che l’uranio è solubile in acqua mentre il torio non lo è[3].
Quando i soluti presenti nelle acque della grotta precipitano formando strati di carbonato di calcio sulle concrezioni, l’orologio radioattivo inizia a funzionare, permettendo di calcolare l’età della formazione minerale[3].
Morphologia craniale svela parentele arcaiche del fossile
L’analisi morfologica del cranio di Petralona indica che apparteneva a un gruppo umano più primitivo rispetto a Homo sapiens e ai Neanderthal, probabilmente vicino a Homo heidelbergensis sensu lato[1].
Questa classificazione colloca il fossile in una posizione intermedia nell’albero evolutivo europeo, suggerendo caratteristiche arcaiche che persistevano ancora nel Pleistocene medio[4][5].
Le caratteristiche craniali del reperto mostrano affinità con altri fossili europei dello stesso periodo, come il cranio di Ceprano in Italia[4].
Questi reperti rappresentano un ponte morfologico tra le forme più antiche di Homo ergaster/erectus e i successivi esemplari del Pleistocene medio comunemente riferiti a Homo heidelbergensis[4].
Coesistenza di linee evolutive multiple nell’Europa preistorica
Lo studio rafforza l’ipotesi che nell’Europa del Pleistocene medio convivessero almeno due linee evolutive distinte[1].
Una linea evolutiva si dirigeva verso i Neanderthal classici, mentre l’altra, più arcaica e rappresentata da fossili come Petralona e il cranio di Kabwe in Zambia, sopravvisse parallelamente[1][5].
Questa diversità umana nel continente europeo suggerisce un quadro evolutivo più complesso di quanto precedentemente ipotizzato[5].
Le popolazioni arcaiche riuscivano a sopravvivere accanto a linee più evolute, creando un mosaico di gruppi umani con caratteristiche morfologiche differenti[1].
Stratigrafie complesse della Grotta di Petralona svelate
La ricerca ha anche chiarito aspetti importanti della stratigrafia della grotta.
I dati mostrano che la calcite che ricopre il cranio non è contemporanea a quella della parete del “Mausoleo”, dove il fossile era presumibilmente cementato[1].
Questa scoperta riapre questioni sulla posizione stratigrafica originale del cranio e sui processi di fossilizzazione che lo hanno preservato.
L’analisi di speleotemi e rivestimenti calcitici prelevati in tre diverse zone della grotta ha fornito un quadro cronologico più dettagliato dell’ambiente di deposizione[1].
Questi campioni hanno permesso di ricostruire le condizioni ambientali che hanno favorito la conservazione del fossile per centinaia di migliaia di anni[2].
Tecniche avanzate aprono nuove prospettive nella paleoantropologia
Il successo di questo studio dimostra l’importanza delle tecniche radiometriche moderne nell’archeologia preistorica[2].
La datazione Uranio-Torio degli speleotemi rappresenta uno strumento fondamentale per determinare l’età di siti archeologici in ambiente carsico, dove i metodi tradizionali spesso falliscono[3].
Le metodologie applicate al cranio di Petralona potrebbero essere estese ad altri importanti fossili umani europei, contribuendo a costruire una cronologia più precisa dell’evoluzione umana nel continente[2].
Questi approcci sono particolarmente preziosi per fossili privi di contesto stratigrafico chiaro o per reperti la cui datazione è stata a lungo controversa[1].
La risoluzione dell’enigma cronologico di Petralona rappresenta un passo significativo nella comprensione della diversità umana europea prima dell’affermazione definitiva dei Neanderthal classici.
Il fossile, con la sua età di 286.000 anni, si configura come testimone di un’Europa preistorica popolata da multiple linee evolutive che coesistevano in un complesso mosaico di adattamenti e sopravvivenze[1][5].
Fonti:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0047248425000855
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103732
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