▁the ▁ 2 4 ▁recovered ▁fragments ▁of ▁humans ▁in ▁the ▁Upper ▁Her to ▁layer ▁have ▁cut ▁marks ▁due ▁to ▁soft ▁t issue ▁removal . ▁Clark , ▁et ▁al ., ▁( 2 0 0 3 ) ▁reports ▁that ▁" The ▁latter ▁pattern ▁of ▁b one ▁surface ▁modification ▁is ▁almost ▁never ▁present ▁in ▁hom in id ▁[ h omin in ] ▁or ▁non human ▁fa unal ▁remains ▁processed ▁for ▁consumption , ▁and ▁is ▁therefore ▁unlikely ▁to ▁represent ▁evidence ▁of ▁util itar ian ▁or ▁economic ▁behaviour ." ▁On ▁one ▁sk ull , ▁" .. this ▁def les hing ▁manip ulation ▁must ▁have ▁occurred ▁after ▁removal ▁of ▁the ▁mand ible . ▁The ▁intent ional ▁and ▁deliber ate ▁removal ▁of ▁soft ▁t issues ▁such ▁as ▁basic ran ial ▁vessels , ▁n erves ▁and ▁mus cles ▁is ▁therefore ▁indicated . ▁The ▁spec imen ▁la cks ▁the ▁entire ▁oc cip ital ▁region ▁surrounding ▁the ▁for amen ▁mag num , ▁and ▁the ▁edges ▁of ▁this ▁broken ▁region ▁are ▁smooth ▁and ▁pol ished , ▁as ▁are ▁the ▁spec imen ’ s ▁un we ather ed ▁par iet al ▁surfaces ." ▁ ▁Eth n ographic ▁study ▁upon ▁modern ▁cult ures ▁suggests ▁that ▁such ▁post - mort em ▁manip ulation ▁could ▁be ▁due ▁to ▁ ▁" .. c uration ▁of ▁human ▁remains ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁mort u ary ▁practices ". ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁ ▁List ▁of ▁foss il ▁sites ▁ ▁List ▁of ▁foss il ifer ous ▁strat ig raph ic ▁units ▁in ▁Eth iop ia ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Category : Ge olog ic ▁form