Neanderthal Tooth DNA Analyzed, Shedding New Light on Our Ancient Cousins
Scientists are fleshing out their understanding of Neanderthals by analyzing a Neanderthal tooth. The dental analysis is leading scientists to believe that Neanderthals were more advanced than previously thought.
The findings were published in an article dated May 13, 2026, in the journal PLOS One."Earliest evidence for invasive mitigation of dental caries by Neanderthals," was the title. "These patterns bring Neanderthal behavior closer to modern humans and differentiate that behavior from the instinctive actions of other primates," the article says.
According to CNN, the "early humans lived between about 49,000 and 70,000 years ago," describing the tooth as "unusual." CNN described Neanderthals as "our closest extinct human relatives," reporting that they "were cognitively and psychologically more similar to modern humans than previously thought, rather than the simple-minded, brutish cavemen of earlier stereotypes." The dental analysis is shedding more light on that theory, and it revolves around dental care.
The Neanderthal Molar Was Found in a Cave in Russia
Neanderthal teeth can provide insight.
"Neanderthal medical knowledge has long attracted scholarly interest. Evidence suggests they cared for sick, injured, and elderly group members, with possible use of medicinal plants," the journal article says.
"However, it remains uncertain whether such practices reflect deliberate medical strategies or instinctive self-medication akin to that observed in non-human primates. Here, we analyze and interpret traces of deliberate artificial manipulation of Chagyrskaya 64, a Neanderthal lower left second molar found in Chagyrskaya Cave (Altai Krai, Russia)," adds the article.
"The tooth exhibits a large human-generated concavity on the occlusal surface, created during the lifetime of the individual," it says.
"What amazed me was how intuitively the person who owned this tooth understood exactly where the pain was coming from and realized that its source could be removed," said lead study author Alisa Zubova, to CNN. "We have never encountered anything like this before - neither among Neanderthals nor among modern humans from much later periods."
"This tells us that the emotional and conscious parts of the Neanderthal mind operated independently, just as they do in modern humans," Zubova said to CNN.
There Was Evidence of Neanderthal Dental Care, According to the Article
It appears from the findings that the neanderthals used tools for drilling.
"Traceological and microtomographic analyses of the observed modifications, combined with experimental verification, reveal that the concavity in Chagyrskaya 64 is indicative of the earliest documented instance of caries treatment involving the drilling/rotating with a lithic perforator, ca. 59 ka.," the post says.
"Evidence of two distinct types of manipulations requiring different tools, in addition to the drilling/rotating technique, necessitating complex finger movements, indicates that the Chagyrskaya Cave Neanderthals possessed the cognitive capacity to intuit the source of pain, comprehend the feasibility of its elimination, and deliberately select the most efficacious dental intervention," added the authors.
CNN also reported that "Neanderthals appear to have done the same, aiding members of their species who experienced injuries or hearing loss by sharing food or protecting them as a form of social care."
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
2026 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
This story was originally published May 15, 2026 at 3:50 AM.