Researchers have long been attempting to piece together the trek of Neanderthals from Europe into Asia around the Middle and Upper Paleolithic time periods. This time marks the eventual disappearance of Neanderthals and the transition to a Homo-sapien-dominated world. The archaeological site of Starosele on the Crimean Peninsula has been studied and identified as a likely site of Middle Paleolithic Neanderthal activity, although DNA evidence was lacking due to poor preservation and rarity of hominin bones.

After sifting through 150 bone fragments from the Starosele site, researchers have finally identified DNA evidence of a Neanderthal individual using collagen peptide mass fingerprinting, also referred to as Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS). Thousands of other bone fragments at the site were too small to identify properly. The team used radiocarbon dating to date the fragment to around 45,910–45,340 years ago. Their research is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The analysis also identified 93% of the bone fragments as horse remains, which the study authors say shows that Neanderthals primarily hunted and consumed horses. Bone fragments of wolves, bison, and rhinoceroses were found in lower amounts.

In hopes that they could find genetic ties that would help explain Neanderthal migration patterns, the team also used mitochondrial DNA sequencing to confirm Neanderthal lineage and find similarities genetically linking the individual, who they named "Star 1," to other known Neanderthal populations.

Neanderthal bone, Star 1. Credit: Emily Pigott

"Although due to relatively low coverage the placement in a phylogenetic tree cannot be fully resolved, Star 1 appears basal to European Neanderthals (GoyetQ305-4/Feldhofer2), and derived to Siberian Neanderthals (Denisova 11, Okladnikov A, 2). When comparing the mtDNA sequence to complete Neanderthal mtDNA data, Star 1 appears most closely related to five hominins from three sites; Denisova 11, Chagyrskaya E, and Okladnikov 2. Notably, all three are in the Altai region of Russian Siberia despite being ~3,000 km distant," the study authors explain.

The team says this evidence provides a link between the Neanderthals in Europe and Asia. In addition to this evidence, many of the tools found at the site were similar in construction to those found in the Altai region.

Fragmented bones from Starosele. Credit: Emily Pigott

To gain some insight into the path Neanderthals may have taken into Asia, the team also conducted habitat suitability modeling using paleoclimate data to reconstruct potential migration corridors between the Crimean Peninsula and Altai region. They identified a corridor along 55°N that would have experienced favorable climates during a time period between 120,000 to 100,000 years ago, or potentially around 60,000, facilitating Neanderthal movement and cultural exchange.

Although the size and condition of the bone fragment do present some limitations in precision, the fragment is still viewed as a key piece of evidence in the larger puzzle of Neanderthal life and migration patterns.

Edited by Gaby Clark, reviewed by Robert Egan