Skull of 'Half Human, Half Neanderthal Girl' Found in Israel

Neanderthals and Homo sapiens coexisted on Earth for approximately 5,400 years. A skull discovered nearly a century ago is now believed to have belonged to a 'half human, half neanderthal girl' who died 140,000 years ago at the age of three, towards the end of the Middle Pleistocene era.

The girl's full skeleton, found in Skuhl Cave in Israel in 1929, is largely intact, with the left side better preserved. New analysis using CT scanning suggests the remains belong to a hybrid species of ancient human, as published in the journal L’Anthropologie.

Examining the neurocranium, mandible, and teeth, researchers found characteristics of both Homo sapiens and Neanderthal in the remains. This suggests a period of overlap where both species coexisted and interbred.

Co-author Anne Dambricourt Malassé noted that the study's findings challenge previous beliefs about hybridization between ancient human species. Further analysis, including DNA testing, may be needed to confirm the results.

In a similar discovery in 2018, scientists identified a bone fragment from Russia as belonging to a young girl with Neanderthal and Denisovan ancestry. These findings shed light on the complex interactions between ancient human populations.

According to the source: The Irish Sun.