Bone histomorphology of the Dederiyeh Neanderthal child

Abstract

To clarify bone formation and growth in Neanderthal children, we prepared a femoral mid-shaft cross-section of the Dederiyeh 1 Neanderthal child (ca. 2 years old) discovered in Syria, and compared its bone histomorphology with that of modern children aged 0-6 years. Bone histomorphometry was performed with regard to six parameters, i.e. cortical width, percent osteonal bone, osteon population density, non-Haversian canal population density, secondary osteon area, and Haversian canal area. Dederiyeh 1 had thick cortical bone similar to the mean of modern children aged 5-6 years, and advanced secondary bone formation, which was represented by greater percent osteonal bone and osteon population density than in 2-year-old modern children. However, primary bone configuration scarcely differed between Dederiyeh 1 and modern 1- to 2-year-olds. The histomorphology of the Dederiyeh 1 femur can be characterized as a complex of features seen in modern children at different ages, which suggests that cortical bone formation in Dederiyeh 1 was different from that in modern children. A variety of causes, such as mechanical loading, genetic control, and abnormal metabolism, are plausible, but it is not possible to determine which of these factors most affected bone formation in Dederiyeh 1.