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Fossil of Neanderthal child with Down's syndrome hints early humans' compassion
Skull anatomy shows the boy or girl would have been severely disabled, yet survived until the age of six
Recent examination of a human fossil unearthed at the Cova Negra archaeological site in the Spanish province of Valencia found traits in the inner-ear anatomy which indicated Down syndrome, in the earliest-known evidence of the genetic condition. “The pathology which this individual suffered resulted in highly disabling symptoms, including, at the very least, complete deafness, severe vertigo attacks and an inability to maintain balance,” said Mercedes Conde-Valverde, a palaeoanthropologist at the University of Alcalá in Spain, lead author of the study, published in the journal Science Advances. Archaeological evidence at Cova Negra indicates the site was occupied for short periods at a time by small groups of Neanderthals – hunter-gatherers who roamed the landscape in search of food and other resources.
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