DNA extracted from Neanderthal teeth in Stajnia Cave, southern Poland, has unveiled the earliest known Neanderthal community in Central Europe, according to new research.

Published in Current Biology this May, the study scrutinized DNA from eight of nine teeth unearthed at the site, confirming that at least seven distinct Neanderthals coexisted there.

Employing molecular branch shortening - a technique that gauges age by DNA mutation rates - scientists dated the group to Marine Isotope Stage 5 (MIS 5), roughly 130,000 to 71,000 years ago.

The researchers avoided radiocarbon dating, as the specimens exceed 100,000 years in age.

Strikingly, three teeth - two from children and one from an adult - found in varied sediment layers shared the same mitochondrial DNA, indicating either a single individual or a shared maternal ancestor.

Such matching DNA across layers points to extensive sediment mixing in the cave over millennia, the study reports.

"This is a groundbreaking discovery, enabling us to document, for the first time, a compact group of at least seven Neanderthals in Central-Eastern Europe from about 100,000 years ago," said Andrea Picin, professor at the University of Bologna and study coordinator.

"Neanderthal genetics usually stem from lone fossils or scattered remains across sites and times. At Stajnia, we reconstructed a unified group, delivering the inaugural clear genetic profile of Neanderthals in this European zone."

Results Challenge 2024 Research

The Stajnia Cave DNA extends beyond Poland, linking to Neanderthal genomes from southeastern France, the Iberian Peninsula, and the Caucasus.

The findings also dispute a 2024 analysis of "Thorin," a Neanderthal from Mandrin Cave in southern France.

Thorin's mitochondrial DNA positions him on the same Neanderthal lineage branch as the Polish teeth bearers, suggesting via molecular methods an age of around 100,000 years.

That earlier study, however, applied radiocarbon dating and assigned Thorin to 42,000-50,000 years ago.

"Our research highlights the risks in handling ancient chronologies," noted Sahra Talamo, professor at the University of Bologna and co-coordinator. "Near radiocarbon calibration limits, precision must not exceed data reliability."

"Here, blending archaeology, radiocarbon, and genetics proves essential."