Revelation of Neanderthals with Down syndrome places special emphasis on caregiving - study

A six-year-old Neanderthal child that reportedly had Down syndrome had their remains identified by a number of Spanish researchers who later published their findings.

The study, which was published late last month in the journal Science Advances, centers its findings on how disabled individuals among the Neanderthal population were often cared for during their lifetime. 

It also presents some speculation among the authors of the paper with regard to how caregiving was reciprocated. Some believe that caregiving produced a sense of compassions "related to other highly adaptive prosocial behaviors."

Unable to reciprocate caregiving

The focus on a Neanderthal child, much less one with Down syndrome, is more interesting when it comes to analyzing their pathologies, according to the study, "as children have a very limited possibility to reciprocate the assistance."

The Neanderthal child with Down syndrome had reportedly suffered from a congenital pathology of the inner ear.

Researchers believe that this particular child needed a great deal of care because of her condition, because Down syndrome can cause health issues and hearing loss in order to live for six years.