A 55,000-Year-Old Skeleton Suggests that Neanderthal Babies Grew Faster Than Human Infants

A Neanderthal infant skeleton discovered in Israel has provided insight into the rapid growth and larger size of Neanderthal babies in comparison to modern human infants. The 55,000-year-old remains of a Neanderthal baby, named Amud 7, were found in the Amud Cave and suggest that while the baby was approximately six months old, it would have been the size of a one-year-old human in terms of body size and head circumference.

Researchers from Tel Aviv University and the Institute of Archaeology in Israel, led by Ella Been and Erella Hovers, respectively, determined that Neanderthal babies grew much faster than human babies and were generally larger, with a slightly wider pelvis which may indicate a larger infant size at birth and potentially a longer gestation period.

However, it is difficult to determine the exact gestational period due to the lack of conclusive evidence. The growth pattern of Neanderthal babies eventually slowed down by around age 8, but their cranial volume remained larger than that of modern human babies. The researchers theorize that this growth pattern may have been an adaptation to the colder climate, as Neanderthals were found to have more robust bodies, despite not living in a particularly cold environment.