Posted: Mar 10, 2017 4:22 am
First of all, New Scientist has this account of the latest findings, which include:
[1] There were considerable geographical differences in diet - Neanderthal remains from Spy Cave in Belgium were heavy meat eaters, including Woolly Rhinoceros and various species of sheep, but remains from El Sidrón in Spain indicate a more vegetarian diet;
[2] Microbial DNA from Neanderthal dental samples indicate the possibility that Neanderthals self-medicated with poplar plants (a known source of salicylic acid, the basis of several painkillers including aspirin), and Penicillium moulds;
[3] Sequences of the genome of Methanobrevibacteria orallis, the oldest sequenced microbial genome, indicates that the serotypes extant in humans and Neanderthals shared a common ancestor, dating from the time when humans and Neanderthals first interbred.
Nature paper covering these findings in more in-depth, technical detail here.
[1] There were considerable geographical differences in diet - Neanderthal remains from Spy Cave in Belgium were heavy meat eaters, including Woolly Rhinoceros and various species of sheep, but remains from El Sidrón in Spain indicate a more vegetarian diet;
[2] Microbial DNA from Neanderthal dental samples indicate the possibility that Neanderthals self-medicated with poplar plants (a known source of salicylic acid, the basis of several painkillers including aspirin), and Penicillium moulds;
[3] Sequences of the genome of Methanobrevibacteria orallis, the oldest sequenced microbial genome, indicates that the serotypes extant in humans and Neanderthals shared a common ancestor, dating from the time when humans and Neanderthals first interbred.
Nature paper covering these findings in more in-depth, technical detail here.