Scientists Identify First Evidence of Down Syndrome in Neanderthals
The discovery shows Neanderthals provided altruistic care for vulnerable members of their communities
Hiya!
Much of what archaeologists are learning these days is transforming how we view history and, ultimately, ourselves. We have a habit of viewing humanity as unique and special. We see ourselves as the only highly intelligent animal, the best there ever was, far too superior even to be categorized as “animal.”
Yet, recent archeological and other scientific discoveries show us how wrong these long-held assumptions are. The truth is, we aren’t as special as we like to think. We aren’t even the only Humans to ever live — we’re merely one of several. The Neanderthals are the most well-known of our Human cousins, and we used to consider them primitive brutes, but archeological finds show they were quite similar to us, and scientists just identified another similarity to add to the list.
Neanderthals
We’ve known about Neanderthals since 1856 when the first Neanderthal remains were found in Germany. Since then, we’ve learned Neandetherals lived in Eurasia for around 400,000 years, and our Homo sapien ancestors coexisted with their species. One of humanity’s greatest mysteries is why we, Homo sapiens, are still here while the Neanderthals went extinct 40,000 years ago.
The assumption has long been that we caused the Neanderthals’ extinction through violence and warfare, but that idea is quickly changing.
Scientists found evidence that we not only coexisted but also bred with Neanderthals and had children with them — so much so that most modern humans have Neanderthal DNA. Research found that Neanderthal DNA makes up 1.7 percent of European, 1.8 percent of Asian, and close to .5 percent of People with African ancestry genomes today. In fact, breeding with them — or, I should say, them with us — may have actually led to their extinction.
Beyond the likelihood that our two species had blended families, archaeologists have identified an awe-inspiring amount of evidence suggesting Neanderthals engaged in abstract thought and complex planning. They made art, including jewelry, buried their dead, and likely had language.
Justyna Miszkiewicz, a biological anthropologist at the University of Queensland in Australia, told Jacinta Bowler and Brianna Morris-Grant of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC News):
“The idea that they’re [Neanderthals are] brutes has been debunked for quite a while now.”
Beyond their intelligence and creativity, evidence suggests Neanderthals cared for disabled individuals. One of the best-known examples is the remains of a male Neanderthal found at Shanidar Cave in Modern-day Iraq. This individual’s skeleton had trauma-related abnormalities, including a crushed fracture to his left eyebrow, which would have severely limited his vision.
This Neanderthal also likely had profound hearing loss and a spinal deformity that would have weakened his right arm — an arm that showed signs of several fractures, as if partially amputated. Considering this long list of ailments, plus more I’m not listing, it’s a bit surprising the Neanderthal was about 45ish years old, which would have been elderly at the time. His age and numerous conditions mean he probably could only have survived with his community’s help.
Like this mysterious male, all evidence indicates that social care among Neandethers was for adults only. Some researchers believe this suggests that caring for disabled community members may have been more like a mutual exchange between equals. Mercedes Conde-Valverde, a paleoanthropologist at the University of Alcalá and leader of a study I’ll tell you about soon, explained to Andrew Curry of Science:
“An adult can reciprocate, or might have helped when they were young.” … “Even if he slowed the group down, perhaps he knows a lot of things.”
But a recent discovery suggests there’s more to it than that.
Cova Negra
A cave in Valencia, Spain, called Cova Negra, was a popular residence for various carnivores over hundreds of thousands of years. Bones excavated from the cave suggest bears, wild cats, wolves, and Neanderthals all had turns occupying the cave for short periods. Of course, the Neanderthal occupation is of the most interest to scientists.
Valentín Villaverde, a Professor of Prehistory at the University of Valencia and part of the study I’ll tell you about next, told Curry:
“The excavations at Cova Negra have been key to understanding the way of life of the Neandertals along the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula and have allowed us to define the occupations of the settlement: of short temporal duration and with a small number of individuals, alternating with the presence of carnivores.”
Three Neanderthal bones, dating back to between 146,000 and 273,000 years ago, were found in the cave in 1989. Decades later, anthropologists at the University of Alcalá and the University of Valencia in Spain took another look at the bones and found something surprising.
The Discovery
The anthropologists used advanced technology to scan the bones found in Cova Negra and create a three-dimensional computer model. One bone, in particular, caught their attention—the right temporal bone (the ear region) of a Neanderthal child whom they named Tina.
Based on the anatomical development of the inner ear, the team first determined Tina was at least six years old when they died. But what caught the anthropologists’ interest was the malformations the remains contained.
This small bone, only a few centimeters long, had an unusual link between one ear canal and a neighboring chamber; the ear canal was unusually wide, and there was a small cochlea, suggesting Tina had Down syndrome.
Down syndrome is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21, meaning a person with Down syndrome has 47 chromosomes instead of 46. The extra chromosome can affect the brain and body's development, leading to a broad range of health issues and developmental delays.
The researchers report that the abnormalities identified in Tina’s ear are a clear indication that the Neanderthal child was born with Down syndrome. Still, Conde-Valverde told Curry that she hopes they can recover DNA from Tina’s remains in the future and confirm whether they carried the extra chromosome.
In the meantime, the scientists reported the malformations in Tina’s ear probably would have produced disabling vertigo and severe hearing loss. Most likely, Tina would have required extensive care by the community.
If correct, Tina would be the first documented Neanderthal with Down syndrome. The team published their study in Science Advances on June 26, 2024 — and they named it: “The child who lived: Down syndrome among Neandertals?”
Binghamton University Professor of Anthropology Rolf Quam, who was involved in the study, told John Brhel of Binghamton University:
“This is a fantastic study, combining rigorous archaeological excavations, modern medical imaging techniques and diagnostic criteria to document Down syndrome in a Neandertal individual for the first time. The results have significant implications for our understanding of Neandertal behavior.”
Identifying the first Neanderthal individual with Down syndrome is exciting, but that’s not the only fascinating part.
An earlier study published in February 2024 used DNA analysis from nearly 10,000 ancient Homo sapiens that lived in today’s Europe and identified six cases of Down syndrome between 800 and 400 B.C.E. years ago — but none of them survived longer than 16 months. So, the fact that Tina, a Neanderthal child, survived until six years of age is remarkable.
Today, thanks to increased social care and medical advancements, the life expectancy for people with Down syndrome has increased over time. In 1900, it was nine years, but increased to 28 years by 1984, and has since risen to about 60 years.
Signs of Altruism?
The researchers believe the fact that a Neanderthal child with Down syndrome survived for so long suggests Neanderthals were not only capable of but actively behaved in altruistic ways. Conde-Valverde explained to Brhel:
“What was not known until now was any case of an individual who had received help, even if they could not return the favor, which would prove the existence of true altruism among Neandertals. That is precisely what the discovery of 'Tina' means.”
As I mentioned before, there is evidence of Neanderthals caring for disabled adults, but the assumption was that the care was more reciprocal than altruistic. However, Conde-Valverde and her team’s research challenges that assumption and suggests Neanderthals also looked after community members simply because they cared for or loved them.
The researchers state in their study that the child likely had trouble walking due to vertigo issues, and communicating with other community members may have been challenging. Not to mention any other potential symptoms of Down syndrome Tina may have had that aren’t visible in the bones.
So, the fact that Tina lived for several years suggests the Neanderthal community that occupied Cova Negra thousands of years ago devoted extra resources and care to help them survive.
Archaeologist Lorna Tilley, an independent researcher in Australia, told Curry:
“[This study] shows us that the value placed on individuals extended to individuals all across the age range.”
Beyond the emotional capacity such altruistic behaviors require, Tilley points out that it supports other research suggesting Neanderthals were capable of abstract thought and complex planning. She told Curry:
“The ability to provide care is an indicator for a whole lot of skills — the ability to assess a situation, to plan for care, to figure out what tasks they can undertake and what tasks others have to take on. It shows an immense amount of cognitive planning and forward-thinking ability.”
Meanwhile, April Nowell, an archaeologist at the University of Victoria, points out that besides aiding disabled members of a community, including children, because they cared about them, doing so also makes evolutionary sense by helping everyone survive.
Perspective Shift
Rather than affirm the metaphorical wall we’ve built between ourselves and Neanderthals, that we’re far superior to our dimwitted Neanderthal cousins, research is instead slowly chipping away at it.
Modern studies are finding more things we shared with Neanderthals than our differences. Now, we have evidence that Down syndrome isn’t exclusive to our specific Human species and that we aren’t the only Human species capable of altruistic behavior.
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Interesting ideas. Thanks