[ad_1]
The oldest human remains discovered in Poland were discovered a few years ago, but it is only recently that scientists have discovered the unfortunate fate of the Neanderthals to which they once belonged.
It is only this year that researchers have discovered that the bones, discovered among animal remains, were actually those of a Neanderthal child. A Neanderthal child was reportedly devoured by a giant bird of the Ice Age, Science reported in Poland.
The bones, determined to be phalanges of the child's hand, were dotted with dozens of holes and this was the clue that led the researchers to determine what had happened to the body.
"The analyzes show that it is the result of the crossing of the digestive system of a large bird," said Professor Paweł Valde-Nowak of the Institute of Archeology from the Jagiellonian University of Krakow, according to Science in Poland. His team discovered the bones in Ciemna Cave in Poland. "This is the first known example of the ice age."
Bones are the oldest human remains ever discovered in Poland for about 50,000 years.
Scientists believe that the bird may have attacked and eaten the child from 5 to 7 years old. He may also have fed the child after his death.
Science in Poland reports that the team's identification of the bones was confirmed by two anthropologists, Dr. Anita Szczepanek of the Jagiellonian University of Krakow and Prof. Erik Trinkaus of the University of Washington in St. Louis.
Bones one centimeter long are poorly preserved, which precludes any possibility of DNA analysis. However, scientists are convinced that it is the remains of a former Neanderthal child.
"We do not doubt that it is Neanderthal remains, because they come from a very deep layer of the cave, a few meters below the present surface," said Valde-Nowak. "This layer also contains typical stone tools used by the Neanderthal."
Although phalanges were discovered years ago, detailed laboratory analyzes recently revealed that the remains were human.
Until this discovery, the oldest human remains found in Poland were three Neanderthal molars found in the Stajnia Cave in the Kraków-Częstochowa Highlands, between 42,000 and 52,000 years old.
Neanderthals (Homo Neanderthalensis), a close friend of modern humans (Homo sapiens), appeared in Europe about 300 000 years ago, before extinguishing for the most part about 35 000 years ago. , according to Science in Poland.
The discovery of the bones of the child is important for scientists who want to know more about ancient humans in Europe.
"We can count the Neanderthal remains found in Poland on the fingers of one hand," said Valde-Nowak.
Source link
