Ancient Tumor Found in Neanderthal Bone, World's Oldest Rib

Scientists say they have found the oldest human tumor in the rib of a Neanderthal.

This specimen of over 100,000 years old was excavated in Croatia and has been hollowed out by a tumor still seen in humans today, known as fibrous dysplasia. Though health officials note that these tumors are not cancerous, the inner structure of the bone is replaced with a soft, fibrous mass.

"They range all the way from being totally benign, where you wouldn't recognize them, to being extremely painful," said David Frayer, an anthropologist at the University of Kansas, according to the recent findings. "The size of this one, and the bulging of it, probably caused the individual pain." 

The findings show that the rib fragment is approximately an inch long and the first to be discovered. The site of its discovery held more than 900 Neanderthal bones, which date as far back as 120,000 to 130,000 years ago.

History shows that the oldest Neanderthals were likely scavengers who recovered food from other hunting animals. However, by the late to Middle Paleolithic period, they are thought to have become adept with using spears in close-quarters hunting strategies. However, they died out approximately 30,000 years.

University of Pennsylvania researchers X-rayed an entire collection of bones that were found at Krapina and then published in a book in 1999, showing each radiograph. Most of the X-rays were high-quality Janet Monge said, via Live Science, the keeper of physical anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania Museum, who participated in that project and the current study.

However, a small rib fragment appeared "burned out" in the X-ray image, and overexposure turned out to be due to the loss of inner bone found in the specimen.

Looking at the rib under higher resolutions, the researchers are now returning to the this piece for their study.

According to Live Science, these images reveal a hollow shell with an empty cavity where a network of inner "spongy bone" should be.

"We do see it in human patients today," Monge said, according to Live Science. "It's exactly the same kind of process and in the same place."

The Mayo Clinic notes that fibrous dysplasia is caused by a spontaneous genetic mutation in cells the produce bone, which can, in some cases, cause small and asymptomatic tumors. However, in other cases, pain and weakness can also result.

As researchers only have an isolated rib from the Neanderthal, they are unable to say whether his or her bones were affected.

The findings for the study can be found Thursday (June 5) in the journal PLOS ONE.