Through geo-chemical and histological analysis of the three baby teeth of Neanderthal children, the researchers shed more light on the prevention and growth rate of Neanderthal children. Children lived in a small area of Italy between 70,000 and 45,000 years ago.
The Neanderthal children’s energy demands were similar to those of humans, scientists argued. In fact, Neanderthals and human newborns Was likely to have the same weight and has a similar pregnancy history.
These findings break the theory that the process of prolonged breastfeeding of Neanderthals, which causes long periods of postpartum infertility for mothers, may contribute to their extinction, co-author Stefano Benazi, a professor of physical anthropology at the university, Told CNN.
“In this hypothesis, Homo sapiens, which had a shorter lactation period, had a larger population, effectively more than Neanderthals,” Benazi explained.
“This study shows the way Neanderthals and Homo are The fact that the sapiens raised their children is very similar, so this hypothesis has to be rejected, “he said. We need to find an explanation elsewhere. “
The teeth are like trees
Neanderthal-age baby teeth Caves were found between the provinces of Vicenza and Verona in Italy. According to scientists, the teeth belonged to three different children, who lost them naturally as part of the growing process.
As the tree trunk grows each year of life, the teeth present lines of growth, forming every day until the enamel is fully developed, the researchers explained.
“This is a fair comparison,” said Federico Lugli, a post-doctoral researcher co-author of the Department of Cultural Heritage at the University of Bologna. “These lines can be studied with nonviolence By techniques or histology, by cutting thin parts of the tooth. “
Combined with the chemical analysis of strontium concentrations in teeth, the information obtained from these growth lines has provided important information about the evolution of lactation in our evolutionary cousins.
To support their data, even scientists Documents comparing the findings of Neanderthal infants with the baby teeth of contemporary infants with a history of eating and weaning.
What baby teeth tell us about Neanderthal mms
Primary even if the teeth come later in the child’s life “Teeth form before birth, and the lines of growth associated with the moment of birth have a definite, recognizable shape,” Benazi said.
It also enabled scientists to expand the scope of their studies from children to their mothers.
“Babies’ teeth form mostly in the uterus, so what we see in the chemistry in these samples is partly due to their mother’s behavior and eating habits,” Lugley explained.
Building on the evidence from previous studies, Lugley explained that the Neanderthals examined diet were high in protein.
Lugley said it is possible that Neanderthal babies would have pre-chewed meat in the solid food used when weaning, but this hypothesis will require further study.
What baby teeth tell us about Neanderthal mobility
Scientists also used strontium isotope analysis Neanderthals are related to the chemical composition of baby teeth, along with archaeological rat teeth found in the same geographical context.
This allowed the team to establish that Neanderthals were not as mobile as previously thought.
Analysis of the fourth child’s teeth in a study of Upper Paleolithic modern humans was found to be less consistent with the formation of endemic fauna, suggesting that, unlike Neanderthals, scientists explain that Upper Paleolithic modern humans actually revolve around more.
Breastfeeding: Physiology and Culture
How long to breastfeed is a question that many new Mao wrestlers do today.
From the point of view of scientists, the surrounding decisions about when to stop breastfeeding are influenced by cultural factors, but weaning is ultimately Matter of physiology.
“Weaning is a critical period in the lives of both babies and mothers,” Lugley explained.
Lugley argued that at about 6 months of age, babies have a demand for energy that needs an external source to allow them to grow.
Also, once other foods are introduced, mothers may spend less energy to produce milk. The production of breast milk requires a large physical contribution from the mother’s body, Lugley said.
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