The earliest months of Neanderthal life have remained one of the least understood chapters of human evolution. Fossils from adults and older children have revealed the distinctive features that set these ancient relatives apart, yet remains from unborn babies are extraordinarily scarce. That has made it difficult to determine when the familiar Neanderthal body shape actually began to emerge. A newly examined fossil from southern Germany is now helping to fill part of that gap. By studying the microscopic structure inside tiny fossilised bones without damaging them, scientists have reconstructed the growth of a Neanderthal fetus during the final weeks before birth. Their findings suggest that, at least before birth, Neanderthals followed a pattern of skeletal development that was strikingly close to that seen in modern human babies, with many of their recognisable differences appearing only after they entered the world.
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