Scientists pinpoint age of suspected human-Neanderthal hybrid child

The most accurate age assessment to date for the “Lapedo Child,” a significant prehistoric human skeleton, has been achieved through advanced radiocarbon dating. However, the findings published in the journal Science Advances on March 7 are unlikely to resolve the ongoing debate within the paleoarcheological community.

Who is the Lapedo Child?

In 1998, researchers discovered an ancient child’s nearly intact, ochre-stained skeleton in a rock shelter at the base of a cliff in the Lapedo Valley, central Portugal. The excavation also yielded pierced shells and animal bones, potentially used in a burial ritual. Further analysis determined that the remains belonged to a juvenile around 4 years old who lived approximately 24,500 years ago.

The “Lapedo Child” exhibited a unique combination of physical traits, showcasing features from both humans and Neanderthals, suggesting a hybrid of the two evolutionary relatives. For instance, the child’s lower limbs resembled Neanderthals, while the skull closely resembled a Homo sapien. Despite evidence of interbreeding between humans and Neanderthals, the timing posed a challenge as Neanderthals had largely gone extinct about 40,000 years ago, long before the Lapedo Child lived.

The debate within the paleoarcheological community revolves around whether the Lapedo Child is the offspring of human and Neanderthal parents or simply displays inherited genetic traits from earlier interbreeding. The implications have been discussed for decades without a consensus.

Hydroxyporline dating

Previous attempts at radiocarbon dating the Lapedo Child failed, but a new method called hydroxyporline dating has now provided a precise date range. The child is believed to have lived between 27,780–28,850 years ago. This breakthrough technique focuses on specific amino acids and eliminates more contaminants than traditional dating methods.

In addition to dating the Lapedo Child, hydroxyporline dating was also used on animal bone samples from the burial site, including rabbit, horse, and red deer bones.

Paleolithic implications

While the latest findings do not definitively confirm or deny the Lapedo Child’s parentage, the evidence uncovered since the discovery supports the hybridization theory. The new dating techniques provide a more concrete understanding of the child’s era and the Paleolithic community that buried them. Researchers anticipate that hydroxyporline dating will further illuminate humanity’s evolutionary past.

The study’s authors noted that the hydroxyporline dating method could also be applied to other important Paleolithic human remains, such as those found in the Mladeč Caves in the Czech Republic, as well as sites in France like Abri Pataud and Saint Césaire.