Name: At the Edge of Extinction, These Neanderthals Were Cannibalized
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In life, this Neanderthal family from Northern Spain struggled as their species declined. In death, bone evidence shows they became food for another Neanderthal group.

Inside the Tunnel of Bones, a macabre Neanderthal mystery unfolds.

At the Edge of Extinction, These Neanderthals Were Cannibalized

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In life, this Neanderthal family from Northern Spain struggled as their species declined. In death, bone evidence shows they became food for another Neanderthal group.

Inside the Tunnel of Bones, a macabre Neanderthal mystery unfolds.

Evolution

At the Edge of Extinction, These Neanderthals Were CannibalizedPublished: December 10, 2025ELLA AL-SHAMAHI: The Neanderthals were failing to cope with the changing conditions. A struggle uncovered in a cave known as the Tunnel of Bones.Oh, wow. This is the famous El Sidron Cave?MARCO DE LA RASILLA VIVES: Yes.ELLA AL-SHAMAHI: It's got more character than I was expecting actually.MARCO DE LA RASILLA VIVES: Yeah. Here is where we found 2,500 neanderthal bones. We found 13 neanderthal individuals of different ages and sexes.ELLA AL-SHAMAHI: Such a diverse group in terms of individuals all found in one spot.MARCO DE LA RASILLA VIVES: Genetic studies told us that they are related, so it's a family group. We know, for example, that one female, we are not completely sure, genetic information said was red hair.ELLA AL-SHAMAHI: And you know when you say that one of those people had red hair, it suddenly brings just fossils really, to life. It's a cave that's filled with ghosts.MARCO DE LA RASILLA VIVES: We think these people were killed by other group.ELLA AL-SHAMAHI: This was not a natural death. Cracked skulls and precise cuts on the bones suggest that this was a brutal massacre. 13 people killed by another Neanderthal group. But closer analysis of their remains revealed an even darker truth.What do the bones actually tell us?MARCO DE LA RASILLA VIVES: The first thing the bones tell us is that a neanderthal group cannibalized another group.ELLA AL-SHAMAHI: They were really eating these 13 individuals?MARCO DE LA RASILLA VIVES: Yeah. Yeah.ELLA AL-SHAMAHI: How do we know that this was cannibalism as opposed to just straight-up murder, or for that matter, an animal coming?MARCO DE LA RASILLA VIVES: Well, because we have seen in the bones what we call cut marks. And also we have found a lot of bones broken just to get the marrow.ELLA AL-SHAMAHI: Yeah. Oh.MARCO DE LA RASILLA VIVES: There are both things. We have cut marks and then they broke the bones to get the marrow.ELLA AL-SHAMAHI: Yeah. If you're getting bone marrow, that is an indication of cannibalism, sure.MARCO DE LA RASILLA VIVES: Yes it is.

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At the Edge of Extinction, These Neanderthals Were Cannibalized

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