Neandertal teeth reveal the earliest known signs of lead exposure

Chemical analyses provide more clues about the environments our ancient relatives lived in

Neandertal teeth

FILLING THE GAPS  Analyzing the fossilized teeth (one shown) of two young Neandertals could provide a window into the environmental dangers the ancient hominids faced.

T.M. Smith/Griffith Univ.

Traces of lead found in the molars of two young Neandertals found in southeast France provide the earliest recorded evidence of lead exposure in hominids.