First case of Down syndrome identified in Neanderthals

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A new study published by an international multidisciplinary team of researchers including professors from Binghamton University documents the first case of Down syndrome in Neanderthals and reveals that they were capable of providing altruistic care and support to a vulnerable member of their social group.

The study, carried out by anthropologists from the University of Alcalá and the University of Valencia in Spain, focused on the skeletal remains of a Neanderthal child, whom they affectionately named “Tina”, discovered in Cova Negra, a cave in Valencia, Spain, long known to have yielded important Neanderthal discoveries.

“The excavations at Cova Negra have been essential to understand the lifestyle of Neanderthals along the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula and have allowed us to define the occupations of the settlement: of short temporal duration and with a small number of individuals, alternating with the presence of carnivores,” said the professor of prehistory at the University of Valencia, Valentín Villaverde.

Researchers performed microtomography examinations of a small cranial fragment of the right temporal bone, containing the ear region, to reconstruct a three-dimensional model for measurement and analysis. Tina suffered from a congenital inner ear condition associated with Down syndrome which caused severe hearing loss and disabling dizziness. This person survived until at least age 6, but would have needed intensive care from others in their social group.

“This is a fantastic study, combining rigorous archaeological excavation, modern medical imaging techniques and diagnostic criteria to document Down syndrome in a Neanderthal individual for the first time. The findings have significant implications for our understanding of Neanderthal behavior,” said anthropology professor Rolf Quam.

Researchers have known for decades that Neanderthals cared for people with disabilities. However, to date, all known cases of social welfare among Neanderthals have involved adult individuals, leading some scientists to view this behavior as truly altruistic and to suggest that it was instead a reciprocal exchange of help between equals.

“What was not known until now was that an individual had received help, even if he could not return the favor, which would prove the existence of true altruism among Neanderthals. This is precisely what the discovery of 'Tina' means,” said Mercedes Conde, professor at the University of Alcalá and lead author of the study.

Reference: Conde-Valverde M, Quirós-Sánchez A, Diez-Valero J et al. The child who lived: Down syndrome in Neanderthals? Advanced in science. 2024; 10 (26): eadn9310. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adn9310

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