Overview
- Cosnefroy and colleagues report in Scientific Reports that reanalysis of Goyet Cave remains identifies at least four younger women and two children dated to roughly 41,000–45,000 years ago.
- Isotope results indicate the individuals were not local to the area, consistent with exo‑cannibalism involving victims from other groups.
- Morphometric measurements show the women were unusually small and gracile for Neanderthals in the region, suggesting selection by body type.
- Cut and percussion marks and marrow extraction match patterns seen on butchered fauna, while abundant animal bones in the same layer argue against a starvation‑only scenario.
- The authors interpret the sex‑ and age‑biased pattern as deliberate targeting linked to intergroup conflict that may have sought to weaken rivals, while noting alternative explanations remain under discussion.