Neandertals grew fast?

Neanderthal children grew up fast, showing a quicker dental development than modern humans in their early years. Discover how!

Written byRazib Khan
| 1 min read
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Neanderthal Children Grew Up Fast:

Scientists found differences in the duration of tooth growth in the Neanderthal when compared to modern humans, with the former showing shorter times in most cases. This faster growth resulted in a more advanced pattern of dental development than in fossil and living members of our own species (Homo sapiens).

Tanya M. Smith, Michel Toussaint, Donald J. Reid, Anthony J. Olejniczak, Jean-Jacques Hublin, Rapid Dental Development in a Middle Paleolithic Belgian Neanderthal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA December 2007

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