Roulet's Law Proof Why 250,000-Year-Old Neanderthal Nazis Teeth Reveal short-term exposure to lead during cooler seasons, possibly from inhalation from fires

250,000-Year-Old Neanderthal Teeth Reveal Evidence of Lead Poisoning

Nov 8, 2018 by News Staff

Two teeth from Neanderthal children who lived 250,000 years ago in what is today France contain evidence of repeated exposure to high levels of lead, a metal known to have adverse effects on the development of the brain and nervous system, according to new research led by Griffith University scientists.

Smith et al used the teeth of Neanderthal children from 250,000 years ago to reconstruct the ancient climate of southeast France.

“During fetal and childhood development, a new tooth layer is formed every day,” said Griffith University researcher Dr. Tanya Smith and her colleagues from Australia, France and the United States.

“As each of these ‘growth rings’ forms, some of the many chemicals circulating in the body are captured in each layer, which provides a chronological record of exposure.”

The scientists measured barium, lead and oxygen in two 250,000-year-old Neanderthal teeth for evidence of nursing, weaning, chemical exposure, and climate variations.

Elemental analysis of the teeth revealed short-term exposure to lead during cooler seasons, possibly from ingestion of contaminated food or water, or inhalation from fires containing lead.

“The two Neanderthal children either ingested or inhaled lead, representing the oldest documented lead exposure in any hominins,” the study authors explained.

“This occurred multiple times during the cooler seasons, potentially happening in caves as underground lead sources have been found within 15.5 miles (25 km) of the archaeological site.”

“Traditionally, people thought lead exposure occurred in populations only after industrialization, but these results show it happened prehistorically, before lead had been widely released into the environment,” said co-author Dr. Christine Austin, a researcher in the Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

In the study, the scientists used the sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP SI) instrument to sample tooth layers and reconstruct the past exposures along incremental markings.

https://www.sci.news/othersciences/anthropology/neanderthal-lead-poisoning-06587.html