Researchers identify 46000 year old Neanderthal remains in Spain

An international team of researchers has identified six fossilized bone fragments in the Abauntz cave in Navarre, Spain, as belonging to an adult male Neanderthal who lived approximately 46,000 years ago. Euronews reported that the discovery was presented on October 19 during an official event led by María Chivite, the president of the Government of Navarre. [1]

Euronews, Archaeology News Online Magazine, La Brújula Verde, and Ancient Origins all report that the fossilized bones include hand remains from an individual that still preserved ancient DNA after 46,000 years. Euronews specified that the collection includes three metacarpal bones and one middle phalanx from the right hand of an adult, alongside two additional bone fragments. [1][2][3][4]

The bone fragments had been recovered during previous excavation campaigns inside the Abauntz cave system. Euronews reported that genetic analysis and radiocarbon dating were used to confirm that the fossils belong to the last Neanderthals that inhabited the western Pyrenees region. [1]

Neanderthals became extinct around 40,000 years ago. Multiple factors likely contributed to the decline of their population, including climate change, disease transmission, competitive replacement, and interbreeding with early modern human populations. [5]