Paleontologists at the National Museum d’Historel in Tel Aviv University and Delige University, France, have reported a fascinating discovery involving a combination of Neanderthal and Homo sapiens skeletal features in a 5-year-old child found in 1931 at Skhūl Cave, located on Mount Carmel, Israel.
A group of Neanderthals in a cave. Image credit: Tyler B. Tretsven.
Mugarat Es Skhūl (Skhūl Cave) was uncovered in 1928 by Theodore McConne and Dorothy Garrod on Mount Carmel, Israel.
The excavation revealed skeletal remains of seven adults and three children, alongside isolated bones linked to 16 additional individuals associated with the Fauna and Musteria tool industry.
The fossils belong to Homo sapiens, or “anatomically modern humans,” dating back approximately 140,000 years to the end of the Mid Pleistocene.
The initial discoveries in the cave were of children aged three to five years.
A recent study led by Professor Israel Hirschkowitz of Tel Aviv University indicates that the child’s skull resembles the overall shape of Homo sapiens, particularly in the skull vault, with inner ear structures characteristic of the intracranial blood supply system and features of the mandible akin to Neanderthals.
“This finding highlights the earliest known human fossils exhibiting morphological traits from both of these groups,” he stated.
“This study indicates that the skeleton of the five-year-old child is a result of ongoing genetic intermingling with the local Neanderthal and Homo sapiens populations,” he added.
“Genetic research over the last decade has demonstrated that these two groups exchanged genes,” remarked Professor Hirschkowitz.
“Even today, 40,000 years after the last Neanderthals vanished, 2-6% of our genomes can be traced back to Neanderthals,” he continued.
“However, these gene exchanges occurred much later, between 60,000-40,000 years ago. In this case, we are addressing human fossils from 140,000 years ago.”
Traditionally, Neanderthals were thought to have evolved in Europe and migrated to Israeli territories approximately 70,000 years ago due to advancing glaciers.
A 2021 study revealed that early Neanderthals inhabited Israeli lands around 400,000 years ago.
This type of human is referred to as “Nescher Ramra.” Homo might have interbred with Homo sapiens, a group that began migrating out of Africa around 200,000 years ago – and according to findings from the current study, they did breed.
The children from Skhūl Cave represent the earliest fossil evidence of the social and biological bonds formed between these two groups over thousands of years.
Ultimately, local Neanderthals dwindled as they were absorbed into the Homo sapiens population, similar to Neanderthals in later Europe.
“The fossils we researched are the earliest known tangible proof of mating between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens,” Professor Hirschkowitz commented.
“In 1998, child skeletons were unearthed in Portugal, displaying features from both human groups.”
“However, that skeleton, known as the ‘Lapedo Valley Child,’ dates back just 28,000 years.”
Historically, anthropologists have attributed the fossils found in Skhūl Cave, alongside those from the Caffze cave near Nazareth, to early groups of Homo sapiens.
“Current research reveals that some fossils from the Skhūl cave are indeed the product of continuous genetic intermingling with local and ancient Neanderthal populations of Homo sapiens,” he concluded.
Survey results were published in the journal on June 14th, l’anthropologie.
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Bastien Bouvier et al. 2025. New analysis of Skhūl child’s neurological and mandible: taxonomic conclusions and cultural implications. l’anthropologie 129(3): 103385; doi: 10.1016/j.anthro.2025.103385
Source: www.sci.news
