Here is the study: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adn9310 (archived)
Spanish paleoanthropologists from the University of Alcala discovered that Neanderthals exhibited social behaviors such as compassion for seriously ill children. The research was published in the scientific journal magazine Science Advances (SciAdv).
The conclusions of scientists are based on the analysis of fossilized remains of a small group of representatives of this species, related to humans, who lived between 273 thousand and 146 thousand years ago in the Cova Negra cave in the province of Valencia, on the territory of modern Spain. Years ago.
Researchers discovered the skeleton of a young Neanderthal man who was about six years old when he died. Although researchers were not sure what the child’s gender was, she was named Tina.
As the analysis showed, Tina suffered from a severe inner ear pathology from birth, which caused complete deafness, attacks of severe dizziness and the inability to maintain balance. It was clear that he could not survive in the prehistoric world without the constant care of his adult relatives.
Scientists noted that Tina’s survival to the age of six indicates that her team provided the necessary care for the child and her mother throughout this period.
According to anthropologists, this discovery proves that Neanderthals felt compassion and did not act solely for pragmatic reasons.
“For decades, Neanderthals have been known to care for and protect their vulnerable companions. However, all known cases of grooming involved adults, leading some scientists to believe that such behavior is not true altruism but merely an exchange of mutual aid between equals,” said lead study author Mercedes Conde-Valverde.
Scientists also noted that Tina’s discovery represents the earliest known case of Down syndrome, as their pathology only occurs in people with the condition.
Previous researchers discovered The link between Neanderthal genes and autism.