▁S ag itt al ▁ke eling ▁ ▁Sk ull ▁ 4 ▁▁ ▁Sk ull ▁ 4 ▁( D 3 4 4 4 ) ▁and ▁its ▁associated ▁mand ible ▁( D 3 9 0 0 ) ▁were ▁discovered ▁during ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 2 - 2 0 0 4 ▁field ▁season . ▁The ▁individual ▁had ▁lived ▁for ▁several ▁years ▁with ▁only ▁a ▁single ▁left ▁can ine ▁before ▁dying . ▁This ▁evidence ▁of ▁m astic atory ▁imp air ment ▁is ▁older ▁than , ▁and ▁more ▁extreme ▁than ▁previous ▁foss ils ▁with ▁m astic atory ▁imp air ment ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁La ▁Chap elle - aux - S ain ts ▁foss il ▁and ▁the ▁Bau ▁de ▁l ' A ub és ier ▁foss il . ▁As ▁such , ▁its ▁potential ▁di et ▁is ▁a ▁point ▁of ▁interest ▁to ▁research ers . ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁individual ▁may ▁have ▁subs isted ▁on ▁soft ▁matter ▁such ▁as ▁soft ▁plant ▁t issues ▁and ▁b one ▁mar row . ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁possible ▁that ▁the ▁individual ▁was ▁receiving ▁assistance ▁in ▁m ash ing ▁food ▁before ▁consumption , ▁which ▁brings ▁an ▁important ▁insight ▁into ▁the ▁potential ▁social ▁relationships ▁between ▁early ▁H omo ▁populations ▁and ▁the ▁elder ly . ▁ ▁The ▁c ran ial ▁capacity ▁is ▁between ▁ ▁and ▁ ▁( the ▁im prec ision ▁is ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁missing ▁part ▁at ▁the ▁c ran ial ▁base ). ▁This ▁elder ly ▁spec imen ▁was ▁probably ▁a ▁male ▁and ▁all ▁but ▁one ▁to oth ▁was ▁lost ▁before ▁death . ▁A