development

Neanderthal development was faster than the maturation process in modern humans according to the latest study. This means Neanderthal children were able to reach physical maturity at earlier ages, thereby improving their odds of survival in the challenging environmental conditions of the Pleistocene era. These conclusions have emerged from a study of Neanderthal baby teeth recovered from a fossil site in Croatia. Scientists determined these teeth had grown to sufficient size to erupt from the jawbone a few months earlier than the teeth of a typical human child. Faster Neanderthal development would have enabled Neanderthal boys and girls to begin eating solid foods at younger ages, allowing their physical development to proceed at an accelerated pace. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"92125","attributes":{"alt":"The recent study, based