A uniquely modern human pattern of endocranial development. Insights from a new cranial reconstruction of the Neandertal newborn from Mezmaiskaya.

The globular braincase of modern humans is distinct from all fossil human species, including our closest extinct relatives, the Neandertals. Such adult shape differences must ultimately be rooted in different developmental patterns, but it is unclear at which point during ontogeny these group characteristics emerge. Here we compared internal shape changes of the braincase from birth to adulthood in Neandertals (N = 10), modern humans (N = 62), and chimpanzees (N = 62).

Neanderthal brain size at birth provides insights into the evolution of human life history.

From birth to adulthood, the human brain expands by a factor of 3.3, compared with 2.5 in chimpanzees [DeSilva J and Lesnik J (2006) Chimpanzee neonatal brain size: Implications for brain growth in Homo erectus.

ESR at Treugol'naya Cave, Northern Caucasus Mt., Russia: dating Russia's oldest archaeological site and paleoclimatic change in Oxygen Isotope Stage 11.

At 1510 m asl, Treugol'naya Cave, Russia, is the highest cave showing evidence for human occupation in eastern Europe. Layers 4-7 in the 4.5-m-thick sequence yielded many artifacts representing Lower Paleolithic pebble and flake tool industries.