Neanderthal Fetus’ Bones Look Much Like A Modern Baby’s, Except For One Clue - StudyFinds

What the report says

StudyFinds reported on a new analysis of rare Neanderthal fetal remains from Sesselfelsgrotte, a rock shelter in Bavaria, Germany, where deposits date to roughly 50,000 to 90,000 years ago. Researchers examined 12 small bone fragments from an individual known as Sesselfelsgrotte 1, including pieces of skull, jaw, ribs, spine and limbs, using microcomputed tomography to view internal bone structure without cutting the fossils.

According to the report, the fetal bones generally resembled those of a late-stage modern human fetus. The absence of secondary osteons, a feature associated with more mature bone, supported an earlier estimate that the fetus died before or around birth, at about eight months of development. However, the long bones of the arms and legs appeared somewhat more advanced than parts of the skull and jaw. Researchers said that could reflect differences in how those bones form, while also leaving open the possibility that Neanderthal limb development was already slightly accelerated before birth.

StudyFinds also reported that two baby molars from other young Neanderthals at the same site showed unusual under-mineralized gaps inside the dentine. The paper described the pattern as possible evidence of a systemic disturbance in mineral metabolism, with potential causes including vitamin D deficiency, calcium deficiency, intestinal disease or kidney problems. The researchers did not diagnose a specific condition.

The findings matter because fetal and infant Neanderthal fossils are scarce, making early development difficult to compare with that of modern humans. The tooth evidence, if the dating and interpretation hold, may represent one of the earliest known signs of metabolic bone disease in a non-anatomically modern human.