A new international study has uncovered rare DNA evidence of a small group of Neanderthals who lived together in what is now Poland around 100,000 years ago.
The research, published in Current Biology, is based on mitochondrial DNA extracted from eight Neanderthal teeth discovered in Stajnia Cave, north of the Carpathian Mountains. The findings offer one of the clearest views yet of a Neanderthal group from a single place and time.
Researchers analyzed the DNA preserved in the teeth to examine relationships among the individuals. The results show that at least seven of them belonged to the same population and likely lived during the same period.
Andrea Picin, a professor at the University of Bologna and the study’s coordinator, said the discovery provides a rare opportunity to study a small Neanderthal group in detail.
“In most cases, Neanderthal genetic data come from single fossils or from remains scattered across different sites and periods,” Picin said. “At Stajnia, by contrast, it has been possible to reconstruct a small group of individuals, providing for the first time a coherent genetic picture of Neanderthals in this part of Europe.”
DNA analysis suggests close family ties
The analysis also revealed close biological links within the group. Two teeth from juvenile individuals and one from an adult shared identical mitochondrial DNA, suggesting they may have been closely related.
“A particularly fascinating aspect is that two teeth belonging to juvenile individuals and one belonging to an adult share the same mitochondrial DNA,” said Mateja Hajdinjak, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and co-author of the study. “This suggests that these individuals might be closely related to each other.”
Findings trace a wider Neanderthal lineage across Europe
Beyond the site itself, the study sheds light on wider Neanderthal populations across Europe. The mitochondrial DNA of the Stajnia individuals belongs to a lineage also found in Neanderthals from the Iberian Peninsula, southeastern France, and the northern Caucasus.
Researchers say this suggests the lineage was once widely distributed before being replaced by genetic traits seen in later populations.
Comparison with French fossil raises dating questions
The findings also raise questions about earlier timelines. Scientists compared the Stajnia DNA with that of a Neanderthal known as Thorin, discovered in Mandrin Cave in France and previously dated to about 50,000 years ago. The genetic similarities suggest a more complex population history than previously thought.
“Our study is a reminder that the oldest chronologies must be treated with great caution,” said Sahra Talamo, a professor at the University of Bologna and co-coordinator of the research. “When radiocarbon values approach the limit of calibration, it is essential not to assign more precision than the data can actually support.”
Researchers say combining genetic evidence with archaeological data and radiocarbon dating can improve the accuracy of ancient timelines.
Central-Eastern Europe gains importance in Neanderthal history
The discovery also highlights the importance of Central and Eastern Europe in Neanderthal history. Scientists say the region played a key role in population movements and cultural exchange during the Middle Paleolithic.
We had known for some time that Stajnia Cave preserved exceptional evidence, but these results exceeded our expectations,” said Wioletta Nowaczewska of the University of Wrocław and Adam Nadachowski of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
The findings provide new insight into how Neanderthal groups lived, moved, and remained connected across Europe.
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