amud cave

Neanderthal Infant from Amud Cave Reveals Faster Early Growth Than Modern Humans

Research on a Neanderthal infant skeleton from Amud Cave in Israel dated to 51,000-56,000 years ago reveals the baby was physically comparable to a modern human toddler at 13-14 months despite being only 5.5 months old at death. The study published in Current Biology suggests Neanderthals followed a rapid early growth pattern, developing strength and size faster than Homo sapiens as a possible survival adaptation to harsh Ice Age environments. The skeleton is one of the most complete Neanderthal infant remains ever found, with around 111 bone fragments.