Hominin Variability and Evolutionary Relationships at Guattari Cave During the Middle and Late Pleistocene (San Felice Circeo, Latina, Italy)

<b>Background/Objectives:</b> Along the Tyrrhenian coast of central Italy, multilayered caves have yielded significant Neanderthal-era human remains. Recent excavations at Guattari Cave uncovered hominin fossils dated to approximately 66-65 ka, revealing a population with notable morpho-anatomical variability exhibiting both <i>plesiomorphic</i> (primitive) and <i>autapomorphic</i> (derived) traits. <b>Methods:</b> Here we present detailed morphometric and comparative analyses of cranial, dental, and postcranial remains, demonstrating affinities with <i>Homo erectus</i> (<i>sensu stricto</i> [<i>s.s.</i>] and <i>lato</i> [<i>s.l.</i>]), Proto-Neanderthals, classical Neanderthals, and <i>Homo sapiens</i>. <b>Results:</b> These findings indicate notable morpho-anatomical variability among the Guattari Cave hominin remains, with affinities to multiple hominin lineages during the Middle and Late Pleistocene. Pleistocene. <b>Conclusions:</b> The Guattari Cave assemblage thus contributes to our understanding of Eurasian hominin diversity and evolutionary dynamics, highlighting the Mediterranean as a region of interest for studying the phyletic continuity and diversity preceding modern humans.