Did You Know? The Neanderthal Version Teeth reveal stressful lives among Neanderthals Baby teeth from two Neanderthals were unearthed at an archaeological site in southeastern France. In a 2018 Science Advances article, researchers used data from these teeth to deduce that one of the Neanderthal children was born in the spring, weaned from breast milk ~2.5 years later, and exposed to lead at least twice during those first winters. A dark, accentuated line interrupted the enamel growth in a baby tooth, which indicated that the child experienced a stressor one winter, perhaps an illness. In 1856, a partial skeleton with a thick brow ridge was found in Germany’s Neander Valley. Scientists named the newly discovered species Homo neanderthalensis—or more commonly Neanderthals—an extinct group of early humans who lived in Eurasia until about 40,000 years ago. Teeth are a valuable source of information about early humans because tooth enamel is harder than bone. Anthropologists use teeth to estimate age, diet, overall health and even cultural practices. Neanderthal DNA affects teeth in modern humans A recent study by researchers at University College London compared teeth measurements from plaster casts with parts of the genome related to teeth. It included 880 volunteers from Colombia with mixed ancestry—European, Indigenous and African. The study found that one gene, which can be traced back to Neanderthals, leads to thinner incisors. The gene was only found among people of European descent, according to the article published in Current Biology. Dental wear and tear among Neanderthals Neanderthals used tools, but also their teeth. Fossilized Neanderthal canine and incisor teeth show severe wear and tear, which suggests that teeth were used for grasping and clamping objects. Anthropologist Kristin Krueger of Loyola University Chicago wondered if early humans showed evidence of similar behaviour. Krueger and her colleagues examined teeth from early modern humans from the last 40,000 years and found that they had similar wear patterns. The researchers concluded that both groups used their teeth as tools, perhaps to support their hands in grasping objects, soften wood or fibres, or prepare animal hides for clothing. 37 Issue 1 | 2025 |
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