Neanderthal footprints found on a Spanish beach left by a child

Footprints found in the sand on a Spanish beach were left by a Neanderthal child 100,000 years ago ‘jumping irregularly as if dancing,’ a study shows.

The prints were discovered due to stormy weather and high tides in June 2020, and were seen walking on the sand by a pair of biologists.

They surpassed what later emerged as a Neanderthal water hole, dating back 100,000 years to the late second Pleistocene.

The site, on the beach of Matalascanas in Spain, sits between Huelva and Cadiz, and is where the ancestors of modern humans drank, hunted, hunted for seafood and even let the children They play in the water next to animals.

Palaeontologists from Huelva University say this is the earliest example of Neanderthal footprints on the Iberian peninsula.

Footprints found in the sand on a Spanish beach were left by a 100,000-year-old Neanderthal child ‘jumping irregularly as if dancing,’ study shows

They overcame what later became a Neanderthal water hole, dating back 100,000 years to the late second Pleistocene.

They overcame what later became a Neanderthal water hole, dating back 100,000 years to the late second Pleistocene.

This image shows a close-up view of the sands where the ancient Neanderthals once stood

This image shows a close-up view of the sands where the ancient Neanderthals once stood

FAMILY GROUP OF NEANDERTHALS WITH SEASIDE

Researchers believe the site in Spain was a regular watering hole for Neanderthal communities.

The group was made up of a mix of adults and young people, including at least seven young children.

A further 15 were from adolescents and nine were left with adults – with the smallest two relating to a six-year-old child.

Most were very close to shore, suggesting that they look for shellfish or other food sources.

There was also evidence that a small child was ‘jumping’ in a way that might be dancing in the sand.

At least 87 footprints were found at the site, including evidence of a Neanderthal child jumping and possibly even dancing through the sand.

They were found at a site that was slowly exposed due to erosion of sand docks, according to study author Eduardo Mayoral.

He says it can be more difficult to track early Neanderthals because there are often no bones left to date or analysis, so they rely on footprints and other ‘fossil records’.

‘The biological and ethnological information of the old hominin groups when there are no bone remains, is provided by an examination of their fossil remains, which shows us specific “frozen” times of existence,’ he explained.

They re-examined the finds through 3D models and performed a detailed study of sediment to identify them and the environment in which they were found.

The footprints had rounded heels, a long-sleeved bow, very short toes, and a large unstable toe, the team found.

‘They represent the oldest high Pleistocene record of Neandertal footprints in the world,’ said Mayoral.

Of the 87 footprints 37 were complete enough to reveal the size of a Neanderthal foot, measuring from 5 inches to 11 inches long.

The site, on the beach of Matalascanas in Spain, sits between Huelva and Cadiz, and is where the ancestors of modern humans drank, hunted, hunted for seafood and even let the children play in the water with animals

The site, on the beach of Matalascanas in Spain, sits between Huelva and Cadiz, and is where the ancestors of modern humans drank, hunted, hunted for seafood and even let the children play in the water with animals

Of the 87 footprints, 37 were complete enough to show the size of a Neanderthal foot, measuring from 5 inches to 11 inches long.

Of the 87 footprints, 37 were complete enough to show the size of a Neanderthal foot, measuring from 5 inches to 11 inches long.

This allowed the team to work out that the people at the ‘irrigation hole’ were between 3ft 4in high and 6ft 1in high, with the majority being between 4ft and 5ft. ”

‘The wide range of footprint sizes shows that there is a social group that is united by people of different age classes but controlled, however, by non-adults,’ said Mayoral.

Seven of the footprints were from children, 15 to teenagers and nine left by adults – with the smallest two relating to a six-year-old child.

The four longest footprints belonged to someone older than 6 feet, which Mayoral says is significantly higher than the Neanderthal’s highest expected height, so they could be wrong or not they were made by a smaller person with more mobility.

These show areas where people and animals once stood, the MTS area of ​​Matalascañas Trampled, the name of the beach, and HTS is the Hominin Trampled Surface, which was exposed after storms and where walking the Neanderthal once

These show areas where people and animals once stood, the MTS area of ​​Matalascañas Trampled, the name of the beach, and HTS is the Hominin Trampled Surface, which was exposed after storms and where walking the Neanderthal once

The toes had rounded heels, a long bow, very short toes, and a large, irresistible toe, the team found

The toes had rounded heels, a long bow, very short toes, and a large, irresistible toe, the team found

There was a microbial mat, suggesting a span of life, once underwater, as can be seen in this close-up image showing the remains of halite molds, possibly attached to salt water.

There was a microbial mat, suggesting a span of life, once underwater, as can be seen in this close-up image showing the remains of halite molds, possibly attached to salt water.

'The wide range of footprint sizes shows that there is a social group that is united by people of different age classes but is, however, controlled by non-adults,' said Mayoral.

‘The wide range of footprint sizes shows that there is a social group that is united by people of different age classes but is, however, controlled by non-adults,’ said Mayoral.

He said they were able to better understand the behavior of the Neanderthal group by examining the position of the footprints.

‘Neandertals are hunter-gatherers and so the reasons for their presence are mainly due to travel, transportation of resources or supply strategies,’ Mayoral said.

Nearly a quarter of the group was made up of children, with most of the finds found at the edge of the water hole itself.

‘This could include a hunting strategy, stalking animals in the water, perhaps waterfowl and waders or small carnivores or even fishing or shellfish monitoring of fish or molluscs, he said.

The findings were published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Close relatives of modern humans, Neanderthals became extinct 40,000 years ago

The Neanderthals were close human ancestors who mysteriously died about 40,000 years ago.

The species lived in Africa with humans early for thousands of years before migrating to Europe around 300,000 years ago.

People with them came into Eurasia about 48,000 years ago.

The Neanderthals were a cousin of humans but not a direct ancestor - the two species separated from a common ancestor - that became extinct about 50,000 years ago.  Pictured is a Neanderthal museum exhibit

The Neanderthals were a cousin species of humans but not a direct ancestor – the two species separated from a common ancestor – that became extinct about 50,000 years ago. Pictured is a Neanderthal museum exhibit

These were the original ‘cavemen’, who were historically considered funny and brutal compared to modern humans.

In the last few years, and especially over the last decade, it has become increasingly clear that we have been selling short Neanderthals.

A growing body of evidence identifies a kind of ‘more learned and talented’ caveman than anyone who ever thought possible.

It now seems that Neanderthals were told, buried their dead, painted and even interacted with humans.

They used body art such as pigments and beads, and were the first artists, with Neanderthal cave art (and symbolism) in Spain apparently bringing out the latest human art by about 20,000 years .

They are thought to have hunted on land and done some fishing. However, they became extinct about 40,000 years ago after the success of Homo sapiens in Europe.

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