Timing of weaning among Neanderthals

Neanderthals’ strategy of weaning children at 5-6 months of age implies metabolic constraints in early life similar to those of humans, according to a study. Weaning and transitioning children to solid foods in modern humans occurs as the nutritional needs of the developing brain outpace the nutrition provided by milk alone. Previous hypotheses have suggested that Neanderthals weaned children later than modern humans, and that such late weaning may have limited Neanderthal population growth and contributed to the species’ decline. Alessia Nava, Federico Lugli, and colleagues analyzed the milk teeth of three Neanderthals and one modern human from northeastern Italy using chemical and isotopic analysis and spatial analysis to track dental development. The development of the Neanderthal teeth followed a similar trajectory as those of modern humans, and the results suggested that weaning among Neanderthals occurred at around 5-6 months, similar to modern humans. The findings suggest that Neanderthals’ metabolic constraints were likely similar to those of modern humans, requiring additional nutrition to support a developing brain and suggesting a similar rate of growth. According to the authors, the results suggest that late weaning was not a factor in the decline of Neanderthals.

###

Article #20-11765: “Early life of Neanderthals,” by Alessia Nava, Federico Lugli, et al.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Alessia Nava, University of Kent, UNITED KINGDOM; e-mail: <

[email protected]

>; Federico Lugli, Università di Bologna, ITALY; e-mail: <

[email protected]

>