First Neanderthal–Homo Sapiens hybrid? CT scan reveals unusual features in 140,000 yr-old child skull: Study
A 140,000-year-old skull found in Israel may belong to a child born to a Neanderthal and a Homo sapien, according to a new anatomical research.
The remains of a 5-year-old girl was discovered in 1929 in Skhul Cave on Mount Carmel, along with the remains of seven adults, three children, and bones from 16 hominins. All were initially classified as Homo sapiens but the child's skull long puzzled researchers due to its unusual jaw, which differed from typical Homo sapiens mandibles.
A recent study by resaercher Anne Dambricourt Malassé from the Institute of Human Paleontology in France used CT scans to re-examine the skull and the findings were published in L'Anthropologie journal. The team found that while the skull's structure aligned with Homo sapiens, the jaw displayed Neanderthal traits. This combination suggests the child may have been a hybrid.
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Malassé said the findings challenge previous assumptions and without DNA analysis, the hybrid theory remains unconfirmed. Researchers noted that human populations have naturally varied appearances and that some features may not necessarily indicate hybridisation.
Genetic studies have previously shown that Homo sapiens and Neanderthals interbred multiple times over the past 200,000 years. Researchers believe the Levant region, where the Skhul Cave is located, served as a key migration and interaction zone between hominin species due to its geographical position connecting Africa, Asia, and Europe.
Malassé added that grave could reflect traditions burial practices between Homo sapiens, Neanderthals, or both. 'We do not know who buried this child,' she said, 'whether it was one community, or several groups from different lineages who coexisted, established contact, or even shared rites and emotions.'
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