First blue-eyed human, a dark-haired lactose-intolerant infant, found in 17,000-year-old remains

A study published in Nature Communications reveals the first documented case of blue eyes in a 17,000-year-old newborn from the Paleolithic era, born with a heart condition. The remains of the infant, discovered in Italy, revealed details about his physiology, including dark skin, curly dark brown or nearly black hair, and blue eyes, according to Milliyet.

The skeletal remains were found in 1998 by archaeologists from the University of Siena in the Grotta delle Mura cave of Monopoli, Puglia, without any final possessions or ador[nments, according to Science Alert. Measuring 82 centimeters in length, the remains suggest that the child lived a brief life, with death estimated between 7.5 and 18 months of age.

According to Science Alert, genetic analysis revealed that the infant exhibited abnormal thickening of the heart muscles due to a hereditary condition, specifically hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is linked to sudden death in youth. Indicators of stress appear to confirm the genetic results suggesting the presence of the congenital heart disease.

According to Scienze Notizie, histological analysis of the infant's teeth and a healed fracture on his collarbone indicated he had endured a tough birth. "The analyses revealed a slightly earlier development than the average of modern European populations and at least nine episodes of physiological stress, three of which occurred during intrauterine life," said Owen Higgins, an archaeologist from the University of Bologna, according to Science Alert.

According to Milliyet, isotopic analysis suggests the mother likely endured stresses during her pregnancy, possibly malnutrition, and remained in the same area during the final period of her pregnancy where the child was born and lived his short life. Genetic analysis also revealed a close relationship between the child's parents, suggesting they were probably first cousins, a phenomenon that was more common during the Neolithic.

According to Scienze Notizie, the child's blue eyes arose from a mutation in the OCA2 gene, which reduces the body's ability to produce the brown eye pigment melanin. The detection marks a milestone, as previously, the oldest known blue-eyed individual was the Villabruna man, who lived about 14,000 years ago, according to Milliyet. The eye color of the baby suggests that the child's people may be descendants of the Villabruna man, according to Science Alert.

According to Scienze Notizie, like many individuals of the Paleolithic era, the child lacked the genes necessary to digest milk as an adult.

The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.