Emily Chan
For decades, researchers have been aware of how Neanderthals cared for ill or disabled individuals in their social groups.
However, all known cases involved adults, which made it unclear whether Neanderthals were engaging in truly altruistic behavior. Some scientists were led to believe that Neanderthals only helped those who could help them in return.
But, the new finding of a vulnerable 6-year-old with a challenging genetic condition, who wouldn’t have been able to reciprocate help, shows the strong possibility of altruism in Neanderthals.
“What was not known until now was any case of an individual who had received help, even if they could not return the favor, which would prove the existence of true altruism among Neanderthals,” sad Mercedes Conde, the lead author of the study and a professor at the University of Alcalá in Spain. “That is precisely what the discovery of Tina means.”
The study was published in the journal Science Advances.
