Hajar Alichane, doctoral student in Paleoanthropology

What is Paleoanthropology ?

Paleoanthropology is a scientific discipline concerned with the various stages of human evolution, from primate ancestors to modern man, Homo sapiens. It is based essentially on the study of bone fossils, thousands or even millions of years old.

Can you tell us about your research within this discipline ?

My thesis project follows on from a Master's thesis directed by Prof. Hublin of the Collège de France and Prof. El Hajraoui of the Institut national des sciences de l'archéologie du patrimoine in Rabat, Morocco. I am contributing to an anatomical understanding of the " atériennes " populations, which is a group ofHomo sapiens from the Middle Paleolithic, between 150 000 and 35 000 years BC, whose dental characteristics must be compared with those observed in other species of the Homo genus, such as Neanderthals and recentHomosapiens.
My PhD involves studying the dental remains of a child   found in the Caves des Contrebandiers in Témara, Morocco. This bone material offers an opportunity to assess growth and development processes from the earliest forms of our species to the present day. It is part of a larger collection of specimens documenting the anatomy and behavior ofHomo sapiens before it left Africa.

What are the links between your research project and those of Prof. Hublin ?

Prof. Hublin, holder of the Paleoanthropology Chair at the Collège de France, is overseeing several research projects aimed at precisely defining the question of human evolution. In the natural sciences, the living world is usually organized into hierarchical categories known as taxons . Teeth are an invaluable aid in developing taxonomic hypotheses. The aim is to position each human species exactly in these categories, in order to determine its evolutionary history.

What are the challenges and possible consequences of this research ?

We are working on a period whose documentation is constantly being updated. My comparative research is helping to define the links between " atériennes " populations and ancient Homo sapiens fossils from South Africa and the Near East. Sometimes this means that events in the history of the species are a few thousand years different from those previously established.

Do you remember a moment that triggered your interest in this discipline to the point of making it the subject of your studies ?

My brother, who is now a surgeon, inspired me when he was a student at the Faculty of Medicine in Casablanca. I was fascinated by the illustrations of the human body in his anatomy books, which prompted me - despite my young age - to take up the discipline. All this built up my curiosity for medicine and biology. As it was difficult to get into medical school, the most logical alternative was the Institut National des Sciences de l'Archéologie et du Patrimoine in Rabat. And it's a choice I don't regret.

You are currently writing your thesis. How did you organize your research beforehand ?

My research went through five stages. The first is when we put together our study materials : that's when I gathered the fossils to be studied, in this case those found in Témara's Grotte des Contrebandiers.
Then came the microtomography phase. This involved taking scans to obtain a precise image of the teeth and their internal structures. Teeth are the best-preserved fossils, which is a great help. Thanks to virtual Paleoanthropology, microtomographs of teeth enable me to obtain a precise three-dimensional model on which I use non-destructive imaging techniques, giving me access to their internal or external morphology.
I then proceed with segmentation, which consists in separating the different elements making up the tooth (enamel, dentin and pulp). This technology reveals things that are invisible to the naked eye. So I don't manipulate teeth directly, but only their three-dimensional scans. These scans enable me to analyze an internal structure of the tooth : the junction of enamel and dentin. This junction helps to distinguish human groups from a morphological point of view. I then position " landmarks ", i.e. anatomical landmarks, on the surface models generated from the segmentations. These landmarks provide geometric coordinates that can be statistically studied. By comparing these results with a database, they tell me what type of population I'm working on.

Has your research changed your view of prehistoric man ?

Studying the " atériennes " populations has made me aware of the continuity that exists between them and us. Certain discoveries, particularly of objects, personify these anonymous individuals. They allow us to extrapolate their social organization and to see that we share common behaviors. We're dealing with beings far more intelligent than we might think. Confronting these discoveries creates a feeling of attachment.

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Hajar Alichane is a doctoral student in the Paleoanthropology team of the Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en biologie at the Collège de France, under the supervision of Prof. Jean-Jacques Hublin, holder of the Paleoanthropology chair, andHélène Coqueugniot (Université PSL). His thesis is entitled " Analyse morphométrique des restes dentaires d'atériens du Maroc " .

Photos © Patrick Imbert
Interview by Aurèle Méthivier