Remains of Neanderthal/Sapiens Hybrid Found in Italian Cave

Italian archaeologists made the discovery inside the Guattari Cave, one of the most significant sites in the world regarding the Neanderthal period.

Hidden away by a landslide more than 60,000 years ago, the cave was discovered in 1939 in the seaside town of San Felice Circeo, about 60 miles south of Rome. On that occasion they found a single skull as well as two jaw bones. The skull bore marks that led archaeologists to believe they were looking at signs of cannibalism and ritual burials among Neanderthals.

In later years, however, more advanced analysis allowed to establish that the cave had once been a hyena den, and that hyenas had taken the remains to the cave to eat. In 2019, new digs at the site allowed archaeologist to access to a previously sealed off part of the cave; two years later, in 2021, Italy’s Ministry of Culture announced the discovery of the remains of a further nine individuals. These included seven adult males, one female, and one young boy.

Mario Rubini, Professor in Archeo-anthropology at Foggia University SABAP and Anthropological Service Director, said, “We have found numerous individuals, in a discovery that will allow us to shed light on the history of Italy’s population. The Neanderthal man is a fundamental step in human evolution, representing the pinnacle of a species and the first human society we can speak of.”

Distant Relatives

Now, archaeologists have announced the new finding: the skull of a confirmed hybrid between Homo Sapiens and Homo Neanderthalensis. Experts described the front of the skull as resembling that of a Neanderthal, while the back is similar to that of modern humans. It is unclear whether the skull is among the remains previously found, or if it was an entirely new finding.

Many believed interbreeding between the two human species to be impossible for a long time, until a study published in 2010 first uncovered genetic evidence of this interbreeding in modern humans. The study found that most living humans have some Neanderthal ancestry, as it makes up at least one to four percent their genetic makeup. The earliest documented case of a hybrid between the two species took place around 100,000 years ago.

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