Croatian cave linked to Neanderthal DNA found in Europeans

Vindija Cave (Photo credit: Tomislav Kranjcic/ CC BY-SA 2.0)

A new scientific monograph titled Vindija Cave – A Late Neandertal Site in Northern Croatia sheds fresh light on one of the world’s most significant Neanderthal archaeological sites — Vindija Cave in northern Croatia.

Presented at the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts (HAZU), the book explores the findings from the cave located near Donja Voća in Hrvatsko Zagorje.

Spanning 52 metres in length, Vindija Cave has revealed a treasure trove of Neanderthal remains and artefacts, second only to the famous Krapina site.

Systematic excavations led by Mirko Malez between 1974 and 1987 unearthed at least 85 Neanderthal fossil remains, Jutarnji list reports.

These remains later drew the attention of Nobel Prize-winning geneticist Svante Pääbo. His team, which included Croatian scientists, successfully sequenced the Neanderthal genome from a 38,000-year-old specimen found in the cave.

Their 2017 study revealed that Europeans today carry up to 2.6% Neanderthal DNA.

Vindija Cave, once home to Neanderthals around 45,000 years ago, stands as a vital location for understanding early human history and the interactions between Neanderthals and early modern humans.

”Homo neanderthalensis” limb fragments from Vindija Cave on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History (Photo: Jonathan Chen/CC BY-SA 4.0)

Published by FF Press, the monograph is richly illustrated and includes contributions from experts in paleoanthropology, archaeology, and paleontology.

It offers an in-depth look into Neanderthal behaviour, environment, and possible cultural exchanges with Homo sapiens.

The book’s authors — Fred H. Smith, Ivor Karavanić, Ivor Janković, Jadranka Mauch Lenardić, and Siniša Radović — presented their work in Zagreb, with Smith joining via video message.