Scientists find world's first disabled, elderly man

Washington, Oct 12 (PTI) Scientists have discovered what
they say are the fossils of the world's first known elderly
human with clear signs of ageing and impairment.
Researchers at the Complutense University of Madrid
and the Carlos III Institute of Health, who found the remains
from a site called Sima de los Huesos in Spain, believe the
ancient bones date back to 500,000 years ago.
A prehistoric pelvis, nicknamed "Elvis," and other
fossilised bones found from the site are believed to be
of an elderly man who lived in Spain and was a member of the
species Homo heidelbergensis -- a type of ancient human
thought to be exclusive to Europe and ancestral only to
Neanderthals.
According to lead author Alejandro Bonmati, modern
humans are thought to descend from the Middle Pleistocene
African species Homo rhodesiensis.
Since that species and Homo heidelbergensis shared a
common "grandfather species" around one million years ago,
"this (elderly male) individual would belong to our 'uncle'
species, meaning he is not ancestral but closely related,"
Bonmati told Discovery News.
Bonmati and his colleagues unearthed the lower back
and pelvis for the aged individual along with some 6,000 other
fossils at the site, which was once likely home to numerous
humans from the now-extinct species.
Analysis of the fossils indicated that the male Homo
heidelbergensis was over 45 years and suffered from a spinal
deformity that would have caused him a lot of pain and forced
him to stoop over.
Although it was not clear how much older than 45 the
man was, the researcher are certain that he was elderly based
on his remains.
"He possibly used a cane, just as a modern elderly
person does," Bonmati said.
"This individual may not have been an active hunter
and was impaired to carry heavy loads, thus an important
source of his food would depend on other members of the group,
which would mean sharing."
As a senior, the individual would have had expertise
in finding food and more, the researchers suspected, so he
must have been a valuable contributor to his group.
As a result, the male may also provide some of the
world's first evidence for compassion and cooperation among
early humans, they reported in the journal Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences. (More) PTI SKP
MHM


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