Wesleyan University Archaeology & Anthropology Collections Hominin Fossil Casts
Species Designation: Homo neanderthalensis ID/ Nickname:La Ferrassie 1 Date: 70,000 years old Catalog #: 2004-11-40 a and b Description: Cranium and Mandible

Context of Discovery:

Discovered at La Ferrassie rock shelter in France by R. Capitan and D. Peyrony in 1909. This site yielded skeletons from 8 Neanderthals including adults, children, infants and 2 fetuses. All of them seemed to have been intentionally buried at the rock shelter.

Facts about "La Ferrassie 1":

La Ferrassie 1 was an adult male. The skull shows many typical Neanderthal traits including a large brow ridge, a large nasal opening, and a well-developed occipital bun (a swelling of bone at the back of the skull on the occipital bone). All of the teeth were preserved in place and show heavy wear. Early in the study of the remains from La Ferrassie, a curious asymmetry in the wear across the incisors was noticed. Instead of wearing flat, the biting surface of the incisors is slanted toward the front (or lip). Scientists think that this is the result of habitual use of the teeth for purposes other than chewing, such as holding something in place between the teeth. Although the interpretation has been debated, the use of the teeth as a tool may represent an interesting aspect of Neanderthal culture. La Ferrassie had the remains of an adult male and an adult female, which provided evidence of sexual dimorphism (differences in size between males and females) in Neanderthals. In addition, the remains of the juvenile and infant individuals helped scientists reconstruct the developmental stages of H. neanderthalensis.

Important Publications: