A different article indicated that other evidence already exists that Neanderthals cared for the infirm. There are skeletons with advanced arthritis and skeletons with old injuries that have loved long beyond their physical usefulness to the group.
Recent examination of a human fossil unearthed at the Cova Negra archaeological site in the Spanish province of Valencia found traits in the inner-ear anatomy which indicated Down syndrome, in the earliest-known evidence of the genetic condition.
“The pathology which this individual suffered resulted in highly disabling symptoms, including, at the very least, complete deafness, severe vertigo attacks and an inability to maintain balance,” said Mercedes Conde-Valverde, a palaeoanthropologist at the University of Alcalá in Spain, lead author of the study, published in the journal Science Advances.
Among other pathologies, there were abnormalities in the semicircular canals – three small tubes that govern balance and sense head position – and a reduction in the size of the cochlea, the part of the inner ear involved in hearing.
Previous research has shown that Neanderthals were intelligent, and created art, pigments, symbolic objects and perhaps a spoken language, as well as utilising complex group hunting methods.
Archaeological evidence at Cova Negra indicates the site was occupied for short periods at a time by small groups of Neanderthals – hunter-gatherers who roamed the landscape in search of food and other resources.
Tina’s age at death, based on the maturation state of certain inner-ear structures, shows unusual longevity for a child in such circumstances with a condition known for intellectual disability and developmental delays.
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