Neanderthal weaning
Sunday, July 14th, 2013According to a new article in Nature, the weaning of Neanderthal happened eariler than in both other prmates and human populations. Link: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v498/n7453/full/nature12169.html
This is one of several other studies that claim Neanderthal developped faster than modern humans.
However, in the Neanderthal theory, based on radiometric data collected by Jack Cuozzo, it is indicated that the datings of Neanderthal teeth are 1.8 times off.
In the current article, it is claimed there are two distinct happenings in the Neanderthal studied, at 227 days and 435 days. Multiplying these figures with 1.8 to compensate for dating problems, give 408 and 783 days, which roughly is one and two years. That means that Neanderthal infants were exclusively on breast milk for the first season, on a transitionary diet during the second season, and then abruptly weaned.
Thus, this study provides more support for the idea that the dating of Neanderthals is wrong, and that the model described in the Neanderthal theory can explain the weaning data in this Neanderthal in a much better way, which also puts weaning at a similar age as in modern humans.
Indeed, this should be possible to use in order to provide better age estimates for Neanderthal juveniles.