Dental microwear texture analysis of Neandertals from Hortus cave, France

The dental microwear textures of six individuals from Hortus cave, France are compared to Neandertals from different ecological zones and time periods. Molar Phase II facets were scanned using white-light confocal microscopy and scale sensitive fractal analysis yielded enamel surface textural characteristics. The juvenile Hortus III and the older adult Hortus XI exhibit relatively low anisotropy (epLsar) and textural fill volume (Tfv) and are distinct from young adults with higher values. These differences may be related to age, such that only young adults were engaged in the mastication of tough, fibrous vegetation, whereas Hortus XI (50+ years) and Hortus III (6.5–7.9 years) did not. Sub-Phase Vb Hortus individuals exhibit reduced dietary hardness (Asfc) suggesting a greater reliance on soft foods, like meat. Differences between individuals from Hortus cave correspond to both sub-phase variation in climate and intrinsic lifeways.