Scientists find remains of Neanderthal family in Russian cave for first time

Scientists find remains of Neanderthal family in Russian cave for first time

Scientists have uncovered for the first time the remains of a closely related Neanderthal clan, including a family — a father and his daughter — in a Russian cave, offering a rare window into ancient times.

The clan was discovered in one of the largest genetic studies of a Neanderthal population to date, published this week in the journal Nature. Scientists suspect they perished together about 54,000 years ago — perhaps tragically, from starvation or a big storm — in the mountains of southern Siberia. They were living on a rocky cliff top on the outer reaches of Neanderthals’ known range, which extended from the Atlantic regions of Europe to central Asia.

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