Dental enamel study suggests differences in Neanderthal and Paleolithic human childhood stress

High-resolution replica of a Neanderthal tooth (Le Moustier lower right canine) with developmental enamel defects (hypoplasia) indicated by red arrows. Credit: Kate Mcgrath. Neanderthal children (who lived between 400,000 and 40,000 years ago) and modern human children living during the Upper Paleolithic era (between 50,000 and 12,000 years ago) may have faced similar levels of childhood stress but at different developmental stages, according to a study published in Scientific Reports. The authors suggest that these findings could reflect differences in childcare and other behavioral strategies between the two species. Laura Read More