The RINO undertaking arose from the invention of distinctive marks seen on rhinoceros tooth from a prehistoric website online within the Rhône Valley. The find out about of rhinoceros dental stays from the Center Palaeolithic website online of Paire (about 250,000-130,000 years in the past) has certainly made it conceivable to spotlight clues that might point out their use as gear by way of Neanderthals – an remarkable habits.
Not like the emblematic determine of the mammoth, where of the rhinoceros within the existence habits of prehistoric other people and the relationships they maintained all through the Paleolithic is little identified. Alternatively, lengthy earlier than the wall depictions of the cave of Shove (Ardeş), greater than 30,000 years in the past, this animal was once ate up and used for functions rather than meals. The invention of strange rhinoceros teeth marks at a number of Paleolithic websites in southern France raises the query: may just those marks be the results of intentional human task?
The usage of the bones of huge herbivores, together with rhinoceroses, as gear for retouching and reviving the sides of minimize stones (“retouchers”) is a well known apply, courting again to the Early Paleolithic duration. Rhinoceros tooth are considerable in Paleolithic websites in Europe and Asia, and just a few uncommon research suppose that human teams intentionally discovered them.
Particular person fractures and marks
Greater than 200,000 years in the past, rhinoceros tooth with fractures and repetitive marks have been discovered at Paire, in southeastern France, or on the Panxian Dadong website online in China, which yielded a few hundred remoted tooth of the Asian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sinensis). Those observations have resulted in questions on their use as gear and to analyze on different assemblages of rhinoceroses from this Paleolithic duration in Europe. May we be coping with habits this is nonetheless unknown in Neanderthals?
This query is the supply of the RINO undertaking and the e-newsletter that simply gave the impression within the Magazine of Human Evolution: “Elucidating the use of rhinoceros teeth by Neanderthals: Between experiments and the fossil record”, which is the results of a world clinical collaboration.
That is the primary in-depth, interdisciplinary find out about of Neanderthal use of rhinoceros tooth. This find out about combines analyzes of fossil stays and archaeological experiments on present rhinoceros tooth.
The positioning of Center Paleolithic archaeological websites and paleontological websites that equipped rhinoceros stays have been studied within the RINO undertaking. Map created with KGIS 3.40.6, ESRI (Environmental Methods Analysis Institute) background knowledge. In line with Sanz-Roio et al., 2026, Equipped by way of the writer
Rhinoceros tooth do have morphological traits (measurement, weight, grip, flat occlusal floor and resistance to breakage) that can have motivated their use for technical functions.
Analysis approach
As a part of the RINO undertaking, 12 archaeological websites have been decided on because of the strains of human task and the abundance of rhinoceros tooth.
To be able to have a comparative reference that permits us to differentiate herbal strains from the ones of suspected anthropogenic foundation, we incorporated on this find out about dental collection from paleontological websites in Western Europe and from osteological collections of present rhinoceroses. Those collection come with a complete of 168 rhinoceros tooth from 4 Pleistocene palaeontological websites in Western Europe: Wasserbillig (Luxembourg), Oetrange (Luxembourg), Cova del Rinoceront (Spain) and Les Plumettes (Saone-et-Loire).
We additionally analyzed 236 tooth from the comparative number of the Cupboard of Comparative Anatomy of the Nationwide Museum of Herbal Historical past (MNHN) in Paris, with the purpose of spotting the adjustments that most probably affected rhinoceros tooth all through their lifetime.
An research of microtraces of teeth put on related to chewing processes on fossil rhinoceros tooth was once carried out, to be able to rule out the speculation of a food-related foundation all through the lifetime of the animal.
Additionally, a vital a part of the undertaking was once associated with the experimental means. The usage of rhinoceros molars and premolars as punches by way of skilled knappers will have to permit the established order of a whole repository of the marks acquired and the identity of the serve as of those gear.
The primary problem encountered was once acquiring the present rhinoceros tooth to accomplish those experiments. After a lot analysis, with the assistance of Alexis Lecu, a veterinarian on the Nationwide Museum of Herbal Historical past, 3 zoological parks lent us dental apparatus, the zoos of Peaugres (Ardeche), Sigean (Audes) and Montpellier (Herault). Extractions have been performed by way of Benjamin Drouet in Peaugres and Antoine Joris in Sigean.
Percussion experiments (retouching, slicing, use as anvil) may just thus be carried out on 18 rhinoceros tooth, the use of quartz and flint lithic gear. The function was once to acknowledge and establish strains left by way of human task.
Examples of experimental actions reproduced on this find out about: A) Quartz retouching; B) Measurement of flint; C) The usage of a teeth as an anvil with a quartz flake. In line with Sanz-Roio et al., 2026, Equipped by way of the writer
Changes to rhinoceros tooth all through archaeological experiments, adopted by way of 3D reproductions acquired with a confocal microscope. In line with Sanz-Roio et al., 2026, Equipped by way of the writer
The overall a part of the experimental framework aimed to breed the herbal phenomena of erosion (sediments) and compaction that tooth could also be uncovered to all through fossilization. Those experiments have been performed throughout the Madrid taphonomy laboratory (LeaT laboratory).
Tools used all through taphonomic experiments within the Madrid laboratory (Spain). At the left, a put on take a look at; proper, compression take a look at. In line with Sanz-Roio et al., 2026, Equipped by way of the writer
The acquired effects divulge the presence of strains very similar to the ones in Paire, in addition to the ones created all through archaeological experiments, at two different Neanderthal websites: El Castillo (Spain) and Pech-de-l’Aze II (Dordogne). In those two localities, the place a complete of 281 tooth have been analyzed, the species of rhinoceros in query are the prairie rhinoceros (Stephanorhinus hemitoechus) and the Merck rhinoceros (Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis). The latter represents the biggest type of Eu fossil rhinoceros identified from this era.
The marks seen at the dental subject material, on the other hand, are obviously other from the skin adjustments seen in paleontological and fashionable reference collections, in addition to the ones produced all through abrasion and sediment compaction experiments. Moreover, the research of the micromarks of damage confirms that they have been created after the demise of the animal.
Rhinoceros tooth from El Castillo and Pech-de-l’Aze II display strains of anthropogenic foundation. In line with Sanz-Roio et al., 2026, Equipped by way of writer Enamel that almost definitely served as percussion tools
Subsequently, we will conclude that the strains recognized at the tooth of the rhinoceros from those two Center Paleolithic websites – El Castillo (Spain) and Pech-de-l’Aze II (France) – are of human foundation. Those tooth almost definitely served as punches within the manufacture of lithic gear (flint, quartz), enjoying a task within the operative chain within the Center Paleolithic. Bearing in mind the state of damage of the tooth used, it sort of feels that the Neanderthals had a choice for the tooth of the traditional rhinoceros. It’s conceivable that they enthusiastic about outdated animals, as a result of they probably represented more uncomplicated prey, i.e. carrion. Their dental morphology, extra flattened, was once definitely extra tailored to their use.
Drawing of seen marks on tooth no. 2754 and no. 8557 from El Castillo (drawings by way of Sophie Guegan). In line with Sanz-Roio et al., 2026, Equipped by way of the writer
This find out about expands our wisdom of Neanderthal habits, their technical alternatives, and the range of uncooked fabrics accumulated and used, whilst dropping new mild on their use of animal sources. Regardless of this transparent growth within the box of our wisdom, this discovery additionally opens up various new questions, which stay unanswered for now:
What does this discovery carry to our wisdom of Neanderthals and their relationships with their atmosphere?
What have been the purchase (looking, cleansing, trapping) and use methods of the rhinoceros by way of the Neanderthals? Had been they the similar for all species of rhinoceros encountered all through those sessions in Europe? Did their morphological, ethological and ecological peculiarities and their availability throughout the biotope have an effect on those behaviors?
The remarkable nature of the distinguished manufacturers presentations pastime on this analysis, which, as we’ve noticed, raises many questions that experience but to be explored. Additionally it is not going that using rhinoceros tooth as uncooked subject material was once a habits restricted in time and house. A big revision of the dental collection of rhinoceroses from the a lot of Paleolithic website online collections will have to due to this fact be undertaken within the mild of those new observations.
We recently have no idea if this can be a basic habits or particular to Neanderthal teams in Western Europe. However whether or not we emphasize the “universal” or the unique personality of using those tooth, this discovery opens views associated with the information of the scope, serve as and symbolic importance of this habits.
We thank the RINO undertaking (Sorbonne College and Nationwide Herbal Historical past Museum) and IRN TaphEN (CNRS) for his or her monetary strengthen. We additionally wish to categorical our gratitude to all of the individuals who gave us get admission to to the archaeological and paleontological collections and laboratories that welcomed us. In any case, we categorical our honest because of the zoological parks of Peaugres, Sigean and Montpellier (France) for offering us with the rhinoceros tooth that have been used all through the experiments, and particular point out is going to Alexis Leku, a veterinarian on the MNHN, for his treasured help on this analysis.
