Neanderthal Facial Growth Differed Considerably From Modern Humans, New Study Reveals
Jakarta, Indonesia – A new study published in the Journal of Human Evolution in March 2025 details key differences in facial growth patterns between Neanderthals, chimpanzees, and modern humans, explaining why human faces are comparatively smaller. Researchers found that Neanderthals and chimpanzees continued facial growth into older ages, while humans experienced growth cessation around adolescence.
The research, led by Alexandra Schuh, combined geometric modeling with microscopic analysis of skull growth, examining 128 modern human skulls, 33 chimpanzee skulls, and 13 Neanderthal skulls. the analysis revealed two primary processes shaping the face: bone formation and bone resorption.
“Neanderthals and chimpanzees continued to experience facial growth into older ages, while humans stopped around adolescence,” Schuh explained.
The study found that neanderthals and chimpanzees exhibited prolonged bone formation and resorption, resulting in more prominent facial features. High cellular activity around the nose and cheeks pushed the center of the face forward.Conversely, humans demonstrated more rapid growth deceleration and decreased bone resorption, leading to facial advancement halting before adulthood – a difference clearly visible through microscopic analysis showing lower activity of bone-forming cells in modern humans.
These changes are linked to a broader evolutionary trend called gracilization, a reduction in body size, muscles, and bones. Experts suggest this transition may be connected to easier food processing through cooking, brain development influencing skull and facial shape, or a “self-domestication” process where humans favored more social and less aggressive traits, resulting in flatter faces.
Researchers further simulated facial growth, modeling Neanderthal babies with human growth patterns and vice versa. The simulations showed that a Neanderthal baby growing with human patterns would develop a smaller,inward-drawn face,while a human baby growing with Neanderthal patterns would develop a larger,more prominent face.
The findings confirm distinct differences in facial shape,growth patterns,and tempo between the species.
Source: ZME Science