An international team of researchers led by the University of Vienna has extracted ancient DNA from a five-centimeter-long Neanderthal bone found on the Crimean peninsula. The find provides insights into long-distance migrations during the late Pleistocene 40,000 to 50,000 years ago and underlines the mobility of Neanderthals. The study was published in the journal PNAS.

The Starosele rock cave in Crimea has been explored since 1952, but so far only with finds of human remains from post-medieval times. Researchers examined more than 150 unidentified bone fragments using molecular methods and discovered a small fragment among them, which probably belongs to a femur. Using the paleoproteomic method ZooMS, based on mass spectrometry, it was classified as human. Micro-CT imaging and radiocarbon dating dated it to 44,000 to 46,000 years ago, i.e. to the Paleolithic Age.

The genetic analysis revealed that the individual, named Star 1, is most closely related to Neanderthals from the Altai region in Siberia, over 3,000 kilometers away, but also has links to European populations such as in Croatia. This indicates spreads over long stretches of Eurasia, with Crimea as the crossroads of migration routes.

Climate models identified favorable periods about 120,000 and 60,000 years ago when Neanderthal groups likely traveled in the footsteps of migrating herds of animals. Analysis of the remaining bones showed a predominance of horse and deer remains, indicating a dependence on horse hunting in the region.

The combination of techniques such as ZooMS, radiocarbon dating and DNA analysis allows for deep insights from small fragments and could test further collections for hidden remains. The results change the understanding of Neanderthal mobility and its spread in Eurasia.

Original Paper:

A new late Neanderthal from Crimea reveals long-distance connections across Eurasia | PNAS

Editor: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

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