The inaugural study of a well-preserved nasal cavity in human fossils uncovers that the large noses of Neanderthals were not primarily adaptations for cold environments, as previously assumed.

Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) roamed the Earth from about 400,000 to 40,000 years ago. Certain specimens exhibit unique features in their nasal cavities. These structures are considered characteristic of the species, with some researchers proposing that living through multiple glacial periods prompted these developments. This adaptation was believed to help them warm the air they inhaled..

Nevertheless, the existing structures are largely damaged, leaving a gap in the fossil record that hampers a comprehensive understanding of the Neanderthal nose’s internal morphology.

Costantino Busi and his team at the University of Perugia in Italy gathered this evidence from a specimen known as Altamura man, which dates between 172,000 and 130,000 years old. This skeleton is encased in rock within the Lalunga cave, near Altamura, southern Italy, and features small calcite deposits called popcorn stones, resembling a coral reef.

“This may be the most comprehensive hominin fossil ever uncovered,” Busi stated. However, due to its fragile state, the specimen couldn’t be removed. Instead, Busi and his team brought their equipment into a tight section of the cave and utilized an endoscope to explore the interior of the skull, allowing them to digitally visualize the preserved internal nasal bones.

This is certainly the first instance of such structures being clearly observed in a hominin fossil,” Busi noted.

Unexpectedly, they found no evidence of the typical features believed to characterize Neanderthals’ nasal cavities, such as the vertical medial process (a bony protrusion), a ridge on the nasal cavity wall, or the absence of a bony roof over the lacrimal trough.

Nevertheless, according to Busi, the Altamura man is certainly a Neanderthal. Morphology, dating, genetics suggests this, indicating that the structures in question should no longer be classified as defining traits of Neanderthals. He posits that the prominent noses and protruding upper jaws were unlikely to represent the evolutionary adaptations of Neanderthals. “We can finally acknowledge that certain features once thought diagnostic are absent in Neanderthal skulls,” Busi added.

According to Busi, the large nasal cavities of Neanderthals were simply a reflection of their larger cranial features. However, the team discovered that the nasal turbinates (the scroll-like structures within the nasal cavities) were quite large, aiding in the warming of inhaled air.

“These findings suggest that the distinctive face shape of Neanderthals was shaped more by developmental factors and overall body size than by adaptations for breathing in cold conditions,” said Ludovic Slimak from the University of Toulouse, France. “This research challenges previously held notions regarding Neanderthal evolution and offers the first concrete evidence regarding the structure and function of their respiratory systems.”

This research also suggests that unique adaptations in the neck, driven by the selective pressures of the glacial environment, may have influenced the evolution of Neanderthal facial characteristics, including their protruding jaws.

“The common belief that Neanderthals were specially adapted to colder climates is completely unfounded,” stated Todd Rae from the University of Sussex, UK. “In fact, it’s likely they were more vulnerable to the cold, especially when compared to those in tropical regions. While they managed before, they were likely pushed to extinction by the last glacial maximum.”

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