Overview
- A PLOS One paper reports that a Neandertal molar from Chagyrskaya cave in Siberia has a deep, irregular cavity that reaches the dental pulp.
- Microscopic marks on the tooth match traces made in lab tests that used small jasper points to drill and clean damaged tissue.
- Imaging shows ante-mortem wear around the hole, which indicates the individual kept using the tooth and likely survived after the procedure.
- The authors call this the oldest known case of complex dental treatment and the first such evidence found outside Homo sapiens.
- The team notes limits on what can be known, including the original cause of the decay and who carried out the work, though prior finds of toothpicks and rare caries in Neandertals help frame the context.