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Wednesday, December 22, 2010

BBC News - Neanderthal family found cannibalised in cave in Spain

BBC News - Neanderthal family found cannibalised in cave in Spain: "Markings on the bones show the unmistakeable signs of cannibal activity, say the researchers, with the group having probably been killed by their peers.

The remains were found in a cave in the Asturias region of Northern Spain. Details of the find appear in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Although the highly fragmented bones of six adults and six children were found in a cave, it is thought they probably lived and died on the surface before the ground collapsed beneath them naturally after their death.

Their end was a bloody one, with distinct markings on the bones showing they fell victim to cannibalism.

'They all show signs of cannibalism. They have cut marks on many bones including skulls and mandibles,' said Professor Carles Lalueza-Fox of Barcelona's Institute of Evolutionary Biology, who lead the research.

'The long bones have been fragmented to obtain the marrow so all the signs of cannibalism that have been described... in other Neanderthal sites are present in all these individuals.'"

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