Baby Neanderthal skeletal pieces found in Israeli cave reveals surprising growth secret
Analysis of the “Amud 7” infant from Amud Cave reveals Neanderthals grew significantly faster than modern humans, with a 6-month-old showing development comparable to a one-year-old child
Scientists have made a remarkable discovery in northern Israel: the most complete Neanderthal infant skeleton ever found in the 6-to-14-month age range. Named "Amud 7," the tiny skeleton was first unearthed in Amud Cave in the Upper Galilee region, in the late 1900s.
Dating to approximately 51–56 thousand years ago, with nearly 111 skeletal pieces of the infant were recovered. Researchers even found a deer jawbone resting against the infant's pelvis, which some scientists believe may have been a deliberate offering, suggesting the baby was intentionally buried.
But what's so special about the skeleton found decades ago? Well, after multiple years, the bones were finally analyzed and the recent article published in Current Biology revealed just how Neanderthals grew.
By comparing the Amud 7 skeleton to modern human infant standards, researchers found that the baby's bones were the size of a year-old modern human child, but a dental analysis estimated the infant to be only about 6 months old at the time of death. In other words, this Neanderthal baby had the body of a child roughly twice its age.
This dramatic mismatch points to something scientists had long suspected, Neanderthals likely grew at a significantly faster pace in early life than modern humans do. The skeleton's bones were notably more robust and its estimated brain volume was around 879 cubic centimeters which was equivalent to that of a modern one-year-old human.
Beyond its growth patterns, Amud 7 also confirmed that distinctly Neanderthal physical features appear extremely early in life, including: a robust and highly curved collarbone, a distinctive shoulder blade, and rounded edges on the shin bone, among others.
A joint venture by Israeli, French, and British universities, the authors are careful to note that firm conclusions require more fossil evidence, since Neanderthal infants are exceedingly rare in the archaeological record. Nevertheless, Amud 7 offers an unprecedented window into the early life of our closest extinct relatives.