Atapuerca Cave Attack 2

Image of tooth root (dentine) microanatomy by portable confocal scanning optical microscopy. A novel portable Nipkow disk-based confocal microscope invented and patented by the artist was employed in the imaging of bone from human and bear skeletons discovered from fossil bearing deposits at Atapuerca, Spain, approximately 0.4-0.7 m.y old.

Bones from Atapuerca have been severely affected by bacterial attack during fossilization, eliminating much of the internal microanatomy, but leaving the external macroanatomy in perfect condition. In this case the bacterial attack occurs in “plaques” of damage, roughly circular areas of damage.