Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sourced from eight fossil specimens unearthed in Poland’s Stajnia Cave has illuminated a cohesive contingent of Neanderthals who inhabited the region approximately 100,000 years ago, yielding one of the most precise genetic profiles to date of a singular prehistoric European community.
At least seven Neanderthals resided within Stajnia Cave, located in present-day Poland, around 100,000 years BP. Image attribution: Tyler B. Tretsven.
Stajnia Cave is geographically positioned at an altitude of 359 meters, nestled between the hamlets of Mirów and Bobolice within the southern Polish Kraków-Częstochowa Upland.
This subterranean formation, characterized by a constricted aperture, originates from substantial limestone deposits.
From 2007 to 2010, systematic archaeological investigations were conducted at the site, with a concentrated focus on an area of approximately 16 square meters situated in the cave’s posterior reaches.
Among the most pivotal discoveries at the locale are nine hominid dental remains, five of which have been previously classified taxonomically as Neanderthal in origin.
In the present research endeavor, Professor Andrea Picin of the University of Bologna, alongside his colleagues, successfully extracted and subjected mtDNA from these nine specimens to rigorous analysis.
Their findings indicated that these fossilized remnants originated from a minimum of seven, and potentially as many as eight, distinct Neanderthal individuals.
Strikingly, three of the recovered specimens exhibit identical mtDNA profiles, strongly implying they represent either the same individual or individuals who were maternally related.
Through the examination of nuanced genetic variations, the research team has inferred that all identified individuals lived during a temperate epoch spanning approximately 120,000 to 92,500 years ago.
This temporal designation establishes it as the most ancient congregation of multiple Neanderthals documented through genetic evidence in Central Europe.
“This represents an exceptional outcome, as it affords us the unprecedented capability to observe a small cohort of at least seven Neanderthals from Central-Eastern Europe dating back to approximately 100,000 years ago,” stated Professor Picin.
“In numerous instances, genetic data pertaining to Neanderthals are derived from isolated fossils or from skeletal remains dispersed across diverse geographical locations and temporal periods.”
“Conversely, at Stajnia, the possibility has arisen to piece together the lineage of a small group of these ancient humans, thereby furnishing, for the initial time, a comprehensive genetic portrait of Neanderthals within this particular region of Europe.”
“We had long recognized that Stajnia Cave harbored remarkable archaeological evidence, yet these findings have surpassed our most optimistic projections,” commented Dr. Wioletta Nowaczewska from the University of Wrocław and Dr. Adam Nadachowski of the Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals within the Polish Academy of Sciences.
“The ability to identify such an ancient, small group of Neanderthals within a site of such intricate stratigraphy constitutes a significant accomplishment for Polish scientific contributions and for the broader field of Neanderthal studies in Europe.”
The scientific investigation also revealed that Neanderthals possessing comparable genetic markers once inhabited areas as geographically distant as southeastern France, the Iberian Peninsula, and the northern Caucasus region.
This observation suggests that this specific maternal lineage was once widely prevalent across the European continent before ultimately being supplanted by a distinct genetic variant identified in later Neanderthal populations.
“A particularly compelling facet of this research is the shared mtDNA found in two teeth attributed to juvenile individuals and one belonging to an adult,” remarked Dr. Mateja Hajdinjak, a researcher affiliated with the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.
“This finding points towards a potential close familial connection among these individuals.”
Another pivotal component of the investigation involves a comparative analysis with a Neanderthal individual designated as Thorin, whose remains were discovered in France’s Mandrin Cave.
This particular individual exhibits mtDNA that is strikingly similar to that of the Stajnia Neanderthals, despite being dated to approximately 50,000 years ago.
“Our study serves as a crucial reminder that the earliest chronological estimations warrant a high degree of circumspection,” advised Professor Sahra Talamo of the University of Bologna.
“When radiocarbon dating results approach the outermost limits of their calibration range, it is imperative to avoid attributing a level of precision that the supporting data cannot definitively substantiate.”
“In such circumstances, the synergistic integration of archaeological findings, radiocarbon dating methodologies, and genetic analysis becomes paramount.”
The findings of this significant study have been disseminated this week in the esteemed journal Current Biology.
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Andrea Picin et al. First multi-individual Neanderthal mitogenomes from north of the Carpathians. Current Biology, published online April 20, 2026; doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2026.03.069
