Growth of Neanderthal infants from Krapina (120-130 ka), Croatia

Mahoney, Patrick, McFarlane, Gina, Smith, B Holly, Miszkiewicz, Justyna J., Cerrito, Paola, Liversidge, Helen, Mancini, Lucia, Dreossi, Diego, Veneziano, Alessio, Bernardini, Frederico, and others. (2021) Growth of Neanderthal infants from Krapina (120-130 ka), Croatia. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 288 (1963). ISSN 0962-8452. (doi:10.1098/rspb.2021.2079) (KAR id:91198)

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Abstract

Modern humans have a slow and extended period of childhood growth but to what extent this ontogenetic pathway was present in Neanderthals is debated. Dental development, linked to the duration of somatic growth across modern primates, is the main source for information about growth and development in a variety of fossil primates, including humans. Studies of Neanderthal permanent teeth report a pace of development either similar to recent humans or relatively accelerated. Neanderthal milk teeth, which form and emerge before permanent teeth, provide an opportunity to determine which pattern was present at birth. Here we present a comparative study of the prenatal and early postnatal growth of five milk teeth from three Neanderthals (120,000-130,000 years ago) using virtual histology. Results reveal regions of their milk teeth formed quickly before birth, and over a relatively short period of time after birth. Tooth emergence commenced towards the earliest end of the eruption schedules displayed by extant human children. Advanced dental development is consistent with expectations for Neanderthal infant feeding.

Item Type:	Article
DOI/Identification number:	10.1098/rspb.2021.2079
Subjects:	H Social Sciences
Divisions:	Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Anthropology and Conservation
Funders:	Organisations -1 not found. Organisations -1 not found. Organisations -1 not found.
Depositing User:	Patrick Mahoney
Date Deposited:	29 Oct 2021 15:21 UTC
Last Modified:	14 Nov 2022 23:13 UTC
Resource URI:	https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/91198 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Mahoney, Patrick.

Creator's ORCID:	https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2715-3096
CReDIT Contributor Roles:

McFarlane, Gina.

Creator's ORCID:	https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7441-2281
CReDIT Contributor Roles:

Miszkiewicz, Justyna J..

Creator's ORCID:
CReDIT Contributor Roles:

Nava, Alessia.

Creator's ORCID:	https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6319-0425
CReDIT Contributor Roles:

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