Ancient Spanish skulls show mix of Neanderthal and primitive traits

Scientists have discovered ancient skulls in a Spanish cave that show a mix of Neanderthal and more primitive traits, suggesting that Neanderthals evolved their defining characteristics in stages

According to the researchers, they have identified both Neanderthal-derived features and features associated with more primitive humans in these bones and said that the "mosaic pattern" supports a theory of Neanderthal evolution that suggests that they developed their defining features separately, and at different times - not all at once.

Lead author Juan-Luis Arsuaga, Professor of Paleontology at the Complutense University of Madrid said that the Middle Pleistocene was a long period of about half a million years during which hominin evolution didn't proceed through a slow process of change with just one kind of hominin quietly evolving towards the classic Neanderthal.

The 17 skulls belong to a single population of a fossil hominin species. Some of have been studied before, but seven are presented anew here, and six are more complete than ever before. With these intact samples at their fingertips, the researchers made progress characterizing defining features.