L A Courtenay
Biographic Data
| ID | 7447 |
|---|---|
| NAME | L A Courtenay |
| GIVEN NAMES | L A |
| FAMILY NAME | Courtenay |
| SIGNATURE | COURTENAY L A |
| AFFILIATIONS | Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-4810-2001 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 28 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 201 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 28 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2005 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 8 |
Missing Landmark Estimation Using Reverse Engineering
Fragmentary preservation represents a fundamental limitation in palaeoanthropological research, particularly for postcranial elements where symmetry cannot be exploited and large portions of bone are frequently missing. Although a wide range of virtual reconstruction methods exist, many rely on strong anatomical priors, localized interpolation, or reference specimens that risk biasing reconstructions toward predefined morphologies. The present st…
Technological strategies and morphometric variation in MSA pointed tools from Gademotta and Kulkuletti (280–180 ka), Main Ethiopian Rift
From edge to mark. Investigating the relationship between cut marks and lithic raw materials
Understanding the relationship between animal processing practices and stone tool use is essential for interpreting Paleolithic lifeways. These activities leave behind two key forms of archaeological evidence: butchery marks (“cut marks”) and lithic tools. While both faunal and lithic remains are critical to understanding past behaviors, they are rarely studied in an integrated framework. In particular, the characterization of cut marks produced …
Author response of
A recommendation of: Lloyd A. Courtenay, Alexia Serrano-Ramos, Juha Saarinen, Suvi Viranta, Deborah Barsky, Juan-Manuel Jiménez-Arenas, José Yravedra Computational simulations of potential Pachycrocuta bite damage based on a ~1.2 Ma ravaged hippopotamus femur from Fuente Nueva 3 (Orce, Granada, Spain) https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.07.07.602373
Identifying potential palaeolithic artificial memory systems via Spatial statistics
Artificial Memory Systems (AMSs) are tools that allow for the storage and retrieval of coded information beyond the physical body, ranging from computers and writing systems to tallying sticks. Current scientific knowledge suggests humans are the only species to manufacture and use these tools. While a number of artifacts dating back to the Middle Paleolithic have been considered to be early instances of AMS, conclusive and systematic evidence of…
An open letter to evolutionary and human sciences; Statistics has moved on and so should we. A proposal for more transparent research, and some notes on p < 0.003
Statistical reasoning and inference have become integral to how we reach conclusions as scientists. Few papers in evolutionary, biological, and human sciences, are published at present without at least one report of a p -value, or the term “statistically significant”. As a product of this, discoveries and results often hinge on p -values below the infamous threshold of 0.05. This is due to how well ingrained these notions are in many of our highe…
Deep Learning-Based Computer Vision Is Not Yet the Answer to Taphonomic Equifinality in Bone Surface Modifications
The concept of equifinality is a central issue in taphonomy, conditioning an analyst’s ability to interpret the formation and functionality of palaeontological and archaeological sites. This issue lies primarily in the methods available to identify and characterise microscopic bone surface modifications (BSMs) in archaeological sites. Recent years have seen a notable increase in the number of studies proposing the use of deep learning (DL)-based …
Cumulative effect of high‐resolution silicone moulds on the morphology of cut marks
The use of high‐resolution silicone moulds for documenting bone surface modifications, such as cut marks, is common. However, it has not been evaluated whether moulding can affect the originals. In this work, the modification level derived from several moulding–demoulding processes on an experimental sample of cut marks has been characterised using geometric Morphometrics. It has been shown that moulds influence the morphology of cut marks, reduc…
Evidence from personal ornaments suggest nine distinct cultural groups between 34,000 and 24,000 years ago in Europe
Identification of chemically altered cut marks
Cut marks are striae accidentally produced by the contact made between the edge of a cutting tool and bone surfaces by anthropogenic activity, presenting evidence of hominin carcass processing and behaviour, butchery activities or diet. Post-depositional processes can cause the alteration (chemical or mechanical) of bones surfaces, changing their composition and causing the modification of bone surfaces. Previous research has addressed the proble…
The 'Reverse Engineering' approach to hominin long bone reconstruction
pour la reconstruction des os longs d'hominines : impact sur les études de l'évolution humaine
Cleaning archaeological bones
The application of conservation treatments on archaeological bone is, in many cases, a necessary step for its study. Cleaning interventions can generate modifications on the surface of the material or even modify elements of the study. The variables involved in this process have been scarcely characterized. The present study reports on the characterization of how different liquids commonly used in cleaning processes can contribute to the onset of…
An experimental approach to the analysis of altered cut marks in archaeological contexts from Geometrics Morphometrics
Geometric Morphometrics (GMMs) is a useful tool for the experimental characterization of different taphonomic modifications on bone surfaces, including anthropogenic cut marks. Until now, most research has been conducted evaluating experimental and non-altered cut marks, in order to obtain a better control of the studied variables. However, in archaeological contexts, bones are frequently subject to different taphonomic alterations and, in most c…
Exploring the reliability of handaxe morphological analyses in 2D
Unravelling Hominin Activities in the Zooarchaeological Assemblage of Barranco León (Orce, Granada, Spain)
Little is known about the subsistence practices of the first European settlers, mainly due to the shortage of archaeological sites in Europe older than a million years. This article contributes to the knowledge of the subsistence of the first Europeans with new zooarchaeology and taphonomic data from the Palaeolithic site of Barranco León (Orce, Granada, Spain). We present the results of the analysis of the faunal assemblages retrieved in the con…
Microscopic modifications produced by mechanical cleaning interventions on archaeological bone
The use of tooth marks for new research into identifying and understanding the first domestic dogs in Palaeolithic populations
The domestication of wolves is a topic of great interest. To date, the most accepted hypotheses associate this phenomenon to the end of the Upper Palaeolithic, while many propose an earlier date closer towards the Aurignacian. The latter proposal hinges on extensive research using palaeontological, morphometric, biomolecular-isotopic, genetic data and microwear contributing valuable information to the current debates. Nevertheless, few confront t…
Use of meat resources in the Early Pleistocene assemblages from Fuente Nueva 3 (Orce, Granada, Spain)
Over the last few decades, several types of evidence such as presence of hominin remains, lithic assemblages, and bones with anthropogenic surface modifications have demonstrated that early human communities inhabited the European subcontinent prior to the Jaramillo Subchron (1.07-0.98 Ma). While most studies have focused primarily on early European lithic technologies and raw material management, relatively little is known about food procurement…
Microscopic analyses of the effects of mechanical cleaning interventions on cut marks
A geometric-morphometric assessment of three-dimensional models of experimental cut-marks using flint and quartzite flakes and handaxes
Cut marks and raw material exploitation in the lower pleistocene site of Bell's Korongo (BK, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania)
Application of geometric morphometrics to the analysis of cut mark morphology on different bones of differently sized animals. Does size really matter
Approaching raw material functionality in the Upper Magdalenian of Coímbre cave (Asturias, Spain) through geometric morphometrics
Who ate OH80 (Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania)? A geometric-morphometric analysis of surface bone modifications of a Paranthropus boisei skeleton
The châtelperronian Neandertals of Cova Foradada (Calafell, Spain) used Iberian imperial eagle phalanges for symbolic purposes
Evidence for the symbolic behavior of Neandertals in the use of personal ornaments is relatively scarce. Eagle talons, which were presumably used as pendants, stand out due to their abundance. This phenomenon seems to appear concentrated in a specific area of Southwestern Europe during a span of ca. 80 Ka. Here we present the analysis of one eagle pedal phalange recovered from the Châtelperronian layer of Foradada Cave (Spain). Our research broad…
D analysis of cut marks using a new geometric morphometric methodological approach
New taphonomic advances in 3D digital microscopy
Use of meat resources in the Early Pleistocene assemblages from Fuente Nueva 3 (Orce, Granada, Spain)
Over the last few decades, several types of evidence such as presence of hominin remains, lithic assemblages, and bones with anthropogenic surface modifications have demonstrated that early human communities inhabited the European subcontinent prior to the Jaramillo Subchron (1.07-0.98 Ma). While most studies have focused primarily on early European lithic technologies and raw material management, relatively little is known about food procurement…
Application of geometric morphometrics to the analysis of cut mark morphology on different bones of differently sized animals. Does size really matter
Unravelling Hominin Activities in the Zooarchaeological Assemblage of Barranco León (Orce, Granada, Spain)
Little is known about the subsistence practices of the first European settlers, mainly due to the shortage of archaeological sites in Europe older than a million years. This article contributes to the knowledge of the subsistence of the first Europeans with new zooarchaeology and taphonomic data from the Palaeolithic site of Barranco León (Orce, Granada, Spain). We present the results of the analysis of the faunal assemblages retrieved in the con…
Microscopic analyses of the effects of mechanical cleaning interventions on cut marks
Approaching raw material functionality in the Upper Magdalenian of Coímbre cave (Asturias, Spain) through geometric morphometrics
Who ate OH80 (Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania)? A geometric-morphometric analysis of surface bone modifications of a Paranthropus boisei skeleton
Cut marks and raw material exploitation in the lower pleistocene site of Bell's Korongo (BK, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania)
Evidence from personal ornaments suggest nine distinct cultural groups between 34,000 and 24,000 years ago in Europe
The châtelperronian Neandertals of Cova Foradada (Calafell, Spain) used Iberian imperial eagle phalanges for symbolic purposes
Evidence for the symbolic behavior of Neandertals in the use of personal ornaments is relatively scarce. Eagle talons, which were presumably used as pendants, stand out due to their abundance. This phenomenon seems to appear concentrated in a specific area of Southwestern Europe during a span of ca. 80 Ka. Here we present the analysis of one eagle pedal phalange recovered from the Châtelperronian layer of Foradada Cave (Spain). Our research broad…
Exploring the reliability of handaxe morphological analyses in 2D
Microscopic modifications produced by mechanical cleaning interventions on archaeological bone
An experimental approach to the analysis of altered cut marks in archaeological contexts from Geometrics Morphometrics
Geometric Morphometrics (GMMs) is a useful tool for the experimental characterization of different taphonomic modifications on bone surfaces, including anthropogenic cut marks. Until now, most research has been conducted evaluating experimental and non-altered cut marks, in order to obtain a better control of the studied variables. However, in archaeological contexts, bones are frequently subject to different taphonomic alterations and, in most c…
Introduction to the archaeo-zoology of the 'ABI
The separation of discrete fossiliferous levels within an archaeological or paleontological site with no clear stratigraphic horizons has historically been carried out using qualitative approaches, relying on two-dimensional transversal and longitudinal projection planes. Analyses of this type, however, can often be conditioned by subjectivity based on the perspective of the analyst. This study presents a novel use of Machine Learning algorithms …
A geometric-morphometric assessment of three-dimensional models of experimental cut-marks using flint and quartzite flakes and handaxes
The use of tooth marks for new research into identifying and understanding the first domestic dogs in Palaeolithic populations
The domestication of wolves is a topic of great interest. To date, the most accepted hypotheses associate this phenomenon to the end of the Upper Palaeolithic, while many propose an earlier date closer towards the Aurignacian. The latter proposal hinges on extensive research using palaeontological, morphometric, biomolecular-isotopic, genetic data and microwear contributing valuable information to the current debates. Nevertheless, few confront t…
Cumulative effect of high‐resolution silicone moulds on the morphology of cut marks
The use of high‐resolution silicone moulds for documenting bone surface modifications, such as cut marks, is common. However, it has not been evaluated whether moulding can affect the originals. In this work, the modification level derived from several moulding–demoulding processes on an experimental sample of cut marks has been characterised using geometric Morphometrics. It has been shown that moulds influence the morphology of cut marks, reduc…
Identification of chemically altered cut marks
Cut marks are striae accidentally produced by the contact made between the edge of a cutting tool and bone surfaces by anthropogenic activity, presenting evidence of hominin carcass processing and behaviour, butchery activities or diet. Post-depositional processes can cause the alteration (chemical or mechanical) of bones surfaces, changing their composition and causing the modification of bone surfaces. Previous research has addressed the proble…
Cleaning archaeological bones
The application of conservation treatments on archaeological bone is, in many cases, a necessary step for its study. Cleaning interventions can generate modifications on the surface of the material or even modify elements of the study. The variables involved in this process have been scarcely characterized. The present study reports on the characterization of how different liquids commonly used in cleaning processes can contribute to the onset of…
Introduction to the archaeo-zoology of the 'ABI
The separation of discrete fossiliferous levels within an archaeological or paleontological site with no clear stratigraphic horizons has historically been carried out using qualitative approaches, relying on two-dimensional transversal and longitudinal projection planes. Analyses of this type, however, can often be conditioned by subjectivity based on the perspective of the analyst. This study presents a novel use of Machine Learning algorithms …
New taphonomic advances in 3D digital microscopy
A geometric-morphometric assessment of three-dimensional models of experimental cut-marks using flint and quartzite flakes and handaxes
Cut marks and raw material exploitation in the lower pleistocene site of Bell's Korongo (BK, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania)
Application of geometric morphometrics to the analysis of cut mark morphology on different bones of differently sized animals. Does size really matter
Approaching raw material functionality in the Upper Magdalenian of Coímbre cave (Asturias, Spain) through geometric morphometrics
Who ate OH80 (Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania)? A geometric-morphometric analysis of surface bone modifications of a Paranthropus boisei skeleton
D analysis of cut marks using a new geometric morphometric methodological approach
Microscopic analyses of the effects of mechanical cleaning interventions on cut marks
The use of tooth marks for new research into identifying and understanding the first domestic dogs in Palaeolithic populations
The domestication of wolves is a topic of great interest. To date, the most accepted hypotheses associate this phenomenon to the end of the Upper Palaeolithic, while many propose an earlier date closer towards the Aurignacian. The latter proposal hinges on extensive research using palaeontological, morphometric, biomolecular-isotopic, genetic data and microwear contributing valuable information to the current debates. Nevertheless, few confront t…
Use of meat resources in the Early Pleistocene assemblages from Fuente Nueva 3 (Orce, Granada, Spain)
Over the last few decades, several types of evidence such as presence of hominin remains, lithic assemblages, and bones with anthropogenic surface modifications have demonstrated that early human communities inhabited the European subcontinent prior to the Jaramillo Subchron (1.07-0.98 Ma). While most studies have focused primarily on early European lithic technologies and raw material management, relatively little is known about food procurement…
Unravelling Hominin Activities in the Zooarchaeological Assemblage of Barranco León (Orce, Granada, Spain)
Little is known about the subsistence practices of the first European settlers, mainly due to the shortage of archaeological sites in Europe older than a million years. This article contributes to the knowledge of the subsistence of the first Europeans with new zooarchaeology and taphonomic data from the Palaeolithic site of Barranco León (Orce, Granada, Spain). We present the results of the analysis of the faunal assemblages retrieved in the con…
Microscopic modifications produced by mechanical cleaning interventions on archaeological bone
Cleaning archaeological bones
The application of conservation treatments on archaeological bone is, in many cases, a necessary step for its study. Cleaning interventions can generate modifications on the surface of the material or even modify elements of the study. The variables involved in this process have been scarcely characterized. The present study reports on the characterization of how different liquids commonly used in cleaning processes can contribute to the onset of…
An experimental approach to the analysis of altered cut marks in archaeological contexts from Geometrics Morphometrics
Geometric Morphometrics (GMMs) is a useful tool for the experimental characterization of different taphonomic modifications on bone surfaces, including anthropogenic cut marks. Until now, most research has been conducted evaluating experimental and non-altered cut marks, in order to obtain a better control of the studied variables. However, in archaeological contexts, bones are frequently subject to different taphonomic alterations and, in most c…
Exploring the reliability of handaxe morphological analyses in 2D
An open letter to evolutionary and human sciences; Statistics has moved on and so should we. A proposal for more transparent research, and some notes on p < 0.003
Statistical reasoning and inference have become integral to how we reach conclusions as scientists. Few papers in evolutionary, biological, and human sciences, are published at present without at least one report of a p -value, or the term “statistically significant”. As a product of this, discoveries and results often hinge on p -values below the infamous threshold of 0.05. This is due to how well ingrained these notions are in many of our highe…
Deep Learning-Based Computer Vision Is Not Yet the Answer to Taphonomic Equifinality in Bone Surface Modifications
The concept of equifinality is a central issue in taphonomy, conditioning an analyst’s ability to interpret the formation and functionality of palaeontological and archaeological sites. This issue lies primarily in the methods available to identify and characterise microscopic bone surface modifications (BSMs) in archaeological sites. Recent years have seen a notable increase in the number of studies proposing the use of deep learning (DL)-based …
The châtelperronian Neandertals of Cova Foradada (Calafell, Spain) used Iberian imperial eagle phalanges for symbolic purposes
Evidence for the symbolic behavior of Neandertals in the use of personal ornaments is relatively scarce. Eagle talons, which were presumably used as pendants, stand out due to their abundance. This phenomenon seems to appear concentrated in a specific area of Southwestern Europe during a span of ca. 80 Ka. Here we present the analysis of one eagle pedal phalange recovered from the Châtelperronian layer of Foradada Cave (Spain). Our research broad…
Cumulative effect of high‐resolution silicone moulds on the morphology of cut marks
The use of high‐resolution silicone moulds for documenting bone surface modifications, such as cut marks, is common. However, it has not been evaluated whether moulding can affect the originals. In this work, the modification level derived from several moulding–demoulding processes on an experimental sample of cut marks has been characterised using geometric Morphometrics. It has been shown that moulds influence the morphology of cut marks, reduc…
Evidence from personal ornaments suggest nine distinct cultural groups between 34,000 and 24,000 years ago in Europe
Identification of chemically altered cut marks
Cut marks are striae accidentally produced by the contact made between the edge of a cutting tool and bone surfaces by anthropogenic activity, presenting evidence of hominin carcass processing and behaviour, butchery activities or diet. Post-depositional processes can cause the alteration (chemical or mechanical) of bones surfaces, changing their composition and causing the modification of bone surfaces. Previous research has addressed the proble…
The 'Reverse Engineering' approach to hominin long bone reconstruction
pour la reconstruction des os longs d'hominines : impact sur les études de l'évolution humaine
Author response of
A recommendation of: Lloyd A. Courtenay, Alexia Serrano-Ramos, Juha Saarinen, Suvi Viranta, Deborah Barsky, Juan-Manuel Jiménez-Arenas, José Yravedra Computational simulations of potential Pachycrocuta bite damage based on a ~1.2 Ma ravaged hippopotamus femur from Fuente Nueva 3 (Orce, Granada, Spain) https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.07.07.602373
Identifying potential palaeolithic artificial memory systems via Spatial statistics
Artificial Memory Systems (AMSs) are tools that allow for the storage and retrieval of coded information beyond the physical body, ranging from computers and writing systems to tallying sticks. Current scientific knowledge suggests humans are the only species to manufacture and use these tools. While a number of artifacts dating back to the Middle Paleolithic have been considered to be early instances of AMS, conclusive and systematic evidence of…
Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology (22 works) · Geography (17 works) · Archaeology (16 works) · Biology (16 works) · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies (14 works) · Geology (13 works) · Computer Science (12 works) · Morphological variations and asymmetry (12 works) · Taphonomy (11 works) · Morphometrics (10 works)