First case of Down syndrome among Neanderthals discovered in six-year-old child who lived more than 145,000 years ago

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Scientists claimed to have discovered the first case of Down syndrome in Neanderthals after analyzing the remains of a young child who lived more than 145,000 years ago.

The team made digital scans of a small cranial fragment from a six-year-old they named 'Tina,' which was uncovered at Cova Negra, a cave in Spain

The analysis revealed that Tina suffered from a congenital pathology in the inner ear that is associated with genetics, which produced severe hearing loss and disabling vertigo.

The discovery, according to researchers, has suggested that Neanderthals were capable of providing altruistic care and support for a vulnerable member of their social group since the child survived years after birth.

The team made digital scans of a small cranial fragment from a six-year-old they named 'Tina,' which was uncovered at Cova Negra, a cave in Spain

Mercedes Conde, professor at the University of Alcalá and lead author of the study, told DailyMail.com: ''Until now, it was only possible to diagnose Down syndrome in fossil specimens through the analysis of ancient DNA.

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'In our work, we have been able to diagnose it through an anatomical study of the inner ear.

'This opens up the possibility of studying the potential presence of Down syndrome in fossil specimens and thus being able to document its prevalence in past populations.

Cova Negra is a cave site located in Valencia that was excavated from 1929 to 2017, finding fossilized remains of Neanderthals who lived between 273,000 and 146,000 years ago.

Researchers were analyzing remains found during a 1989 dig, uncovering three new fossils that had been previously overlooked.

Among the trio was 'an immature temporal bone (CN-46700),' the team wrote in the study published in Science Advances.

The digital scan of CN-46700 showed abnormally reduced volume in the cochlear, a hollow tube in the inner ear that looks like a coiled snail shell and contains the sensory organ of hearing

Researchers used micro-computed tomography on the fossil, a 3D imaging technique utilizing X-rays to see inside an object, slice by slice.

The digital scan of CN-46700 showed abnormally reduced volume in the cochlear, a hollow tube in the inner ear that looks like a coiled snail shell and contains the sensory organ of hearing.

This suggested that the cavity was much narrower than average, which is found in up to 50 percent of children with Down syndrome.

The scan was compared to another digital Neanderthal ear from a child around the same age, showing a difference from Tina's.

The team also found malformation in the lateral semicircular canal, which previous research has determined is common in individuals with Down syndrome.

The lateral semicircular canal is the shortest of the three ear canals, which senses rotational and angular movements of the head.

The discovery, according to researchers, has suggested that Neanderthals were capable of providing altruistic care and support for a vulnerable member of their social group since the child survived years after birth

A 2014 study conducted by the University of Montreal, which analyzed 34 years of Down syndrome subjects, found that 5.8 percent had two cases of malformation in the lateral semicircular canal.

The fossilized ear canal also showed enlarged vestibular aqueducts, previously detected in individuals with the genetic condition.

The team noted that when the fossils were found in 1929 the average life expectancy for a child with Down syndrome was only nine years.

Being that Tina lived until age six suggested she was cared for by other members of her group.

'What was not known until now was any case of an individual who had received help, even if they could not return the favor, which would prove the existence of true altruism among Neandertals, Dr Condo said in a statement.

'That is precisely what the discovery of 'Tina' means.'