Individuals with Down syndrome have been on earth for longer than we’ve even realized.
A recent scientific discovery suggests that a 6-year-old Neanderthal child had Down syndrome. This discovery comes from a new analysis of a fossil of an ear bone found in a cave in Spain.
This is the first known finding to reveal Neanderthals had Down syndrome. Neanderthals are humans’ closest relatives and lived approximately 400,000 to 40,000 years ago.
The ear bone was initially excavated in 1989 at Cova Negra, a cave in the province of Valencia. The bone was mixed in with animal remains and wasn’t identified until recently – scientists found that the ear bone had abnormalities consistent with Down syndrome.
According to researchers, this finding is extremely significant from an anthropological perspective because it suggests Neanderthals acted altruistically and cared for one another, as multiple group members would have likely assisted the mother in caring for the 6-year-old child.
Read more about this scientific discovery here.