Saturday, June 29, 2024

Neanderthal Down's Syndrome Child Fossil Hints at Early Humans' Compassion

A Neanderthal child with Down's syndrome survived until at least the age of six, according to a new study whose findings hint at compassionate caregiving among the extinct, archaic human species.

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Two pints from the article. First: "Tina's combination of inner-ear abnormalities is known only in people with Down's syndrome." And this:

"The survival of this child, beyond the period of breastfeeding, implies group caregiving, probably more extended than parental caregiving, typical of a highly collaborative social context among the members of the group. Otherwise, it is very difficult to explain the survival of this individual up to the age of six years," said Valentn Villaverde, a co-author of the study and an emeritus professor of prehistory at the University of Valencia.

Conde-Valverde said: "The discovery of Tina represents the oldest known case of Down's syndrome and demonstrates that the diversity observed in modern humans was already present in prehistoric times. This finding ensures that the story of human evolution includes us all."


#1 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2024-06-27 05:27 AM

I saw the headline and assumed it was story about Margie Traitor Greene, imagine my disappointment.

#2 | Posted by _Gunslinger_ at 2024-06-27 07:19 AM

Seems like "Pat" would have been a better nickname...

#3 | Posted by GalaxiePete at 2024-06-27 09:37 AM

She was great at sniffing out drugs

#4 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2024-06-28 01:43 AM

It's official.

Neanderthal's are better people than Trump.

#5 | Posted by Tor at 2024-06-29 09:46 AM

Neanderthal's are better people than Trump.....#5 POSTED BY TOR

But they're almost all registered republicans and will probably vote the party line

#6 | Posted by brerrabbit at 2024-06-29 09:57 AM

So calling righties Neanderthals is actually more positive than it's meant to be...

#7 | Posted by jpw at 2024-06-29 10:33 AM

So calling righties Neanderthals is actually more positive than it's meant to be...#7 POSTED BY JPW

So, either ...
A. you didn't make your point clear
B. I failed to understand
C. this is really good herb

#8 | Posted by brerrabbit at 2024-06-29 10:46 AM

Neanderthal's would never vote Republican.

None of them were living off SS and lawsuit money while screaming that no one wants to work anymore.

#9 | Posted by Tor at 2024-06-29 04:44 PM

Neanderthals were not "early humans". Different species.

#10 | Posted by Miranda7 at 2024-06-29 10:50 PM

It's Down syndrome, geniuses. Seeing the posts from the radical DR left, they're personally familiar with it.

#11 | Posted by willowby at 2024-06-30 12:00 AM

#11
Your point, other than correcting the headline writer at The Guardian? And what does that second sentence even mean? Oh, it's snarky, yes, but unmoored and flaccid.

#12 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2024-06-30 05:24 AM

#10
From a Smithsonian site (
humanorigins.si.edu(separate%20species).)

Both fossil and genetic evidence indicate that Neanderthals and modern humans (---- sapiens) evolved from a common ancestor between 700,000 and 300,000 years ago. Neanderthals and modern humans belong to the same genus (----) and inhabited the same geographic areas in western Asia for 30,000"50,000 years; genetic evidence indicate while they interbred with non-African modern humans, they ultimately became distinct branches of the human family tree (separate species).

#13 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2024-06-30 05:31 AM

No point, other than correcting the headline, which spreads a common misconception..My second sentence means exactly what it says. Neanderthals and ---- Sapiens were different species. Though there has been controversy over the years (particularly concerning the definition of the term " species") it is well established that ---- Sapiens, not Neanderthals are "early humans

Your link is dead, so I can't address it directly.

Disclaimer, I am not an anthropologist, but my son, who's sitting beside me asI type this post, IS a anthropologist.

Unmoored? Flaccid? I do believe you are projecting.

#14 | Posted by Miranda7 at 2024-06-30 10:22 PM

Oops, sorry Doc, I misread your post and thought you were addressing me.

#15 | Posted by Miranda7 at 2024-06-30 10:30 PM

@#13

The link you cite was modified by this site.

Lemme try different approach ...

humanorigins.si.edu

#16 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-06-30 10:45 PM

@#16

That one seems to work.

#17 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-06-30 10:46 PM

Colourfield - Castles in the Air (1985)
www.youtube.com

#18 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-06-30 10:50 PM

Thank you LL, good link. Also kinda funny that this site censors the prefix ----!

#19 | Posted by Miranda7 at 2024-07-01 02:04 PM

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