The growth pattern of Neandertals, reconstructed from a juvenile skeleton from El Sidrón (Spain)
Ontogenetic studies help us understand the processes of evolutionary change. Previous studies on Neandertals have focused mainly on dental development and inferred an accelerated pace of general growth. We report on a juvenile partial skeleton (El Sidrón J1) preserving cranio-dental and postcranial remains. We used dental histology to estimate the age at death t o b e 7.7 years. Maturation of most elements fell within the expected range of modern humans at this age. The exce ptions were the atlas and mid-thoraci c ver tebrae, whi ch remai ned a t t he 5- to 6-ye a r sta ge o f d evelopment. Furthermo re, e ndocra nial features suggestthatbraingrowth wasnot yetcompleted. T he vertebral m aturation p attern and extended brain growth most likely reflect Neandertal physiology and ontogenetic energy constraints rather than any fundamental difference in the overall pace of growth in this extinct human.
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | artículo biblioteca |
| Published: |
American Association for the Advancement of Science
2017-09-22
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10261/158313 http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100003329 |
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