Landmark new research indicates that teenagers during the Ice Age, approximately 25,000 years ago, experienced puberty in ways that are quite similar to modern teens. In a study published today in the Journal of Human Evolution, researchers explored puberty timing in Pleistocene adolescents, filling a gap in our understanding of early human development.
This groundbreaking research reveals that teenagers from 25,000 years ago went through puberty stages akin to those of today’s adolescents. A study released today in the Journal of Human Evolution investigates the timing of puberty in Ice Age teens, addressing important questions about the upbringing of early humans.
The analysis of the bones of 13 ancient individuals, aged between 10 and 20 years, provided evidence of their stages of puberty. The study was co-led by April Nowell, a paleoanthropologist from the University of Victoria (UVic), who found distinct markers in the bones that revealed details about their adolescent development.
Nowell explains, “By examining specific areas of the skeleton, we were able to deduce aspects such as whether someone experienced menstruation or a change in voice.”
The method was created by lead author Mary Lewis from the University of Reading. Lewis’s approach assesses the mineral composition of the canine teeth and the growth of bones in the hand, elbow, wrist, neck, and pelvis to determine the puberty stage at which each individual died.
Lewis notes, “This marks the first application of my puberty stage estimation method to Paleolithic fossils and represents the oldest use of peptide analysis for estimating biological sex.”
While life in prehistoric times was often characterized as “nasty, brutish and short” by Thomas Hobbes, this new study suggests that these teens were relatively healthy. The majority of the individuals studied began puberty around the age of 13.5 and reached full adulthood between 17 and 22 years old. This indicates that Ice Age adolescents entered puberty at a similar age to teens in today’s affluent nations.
Nowell comments, “Connecting with such distant past can be tough, but we all go through puberty, even if our experiences differ. Our study helps to make these teens more relatable in a way that simply analyzing stone tools cannot.”
Among the skeletons studied was “Romito 2,” an adolescent male recognized as the earliest known individual with a form of dwarfism. This new analysis of puberty provides deeper insights into Romito 2’s possible physical characteristics and social standing.
At the time of examination, he was in the middle of puberty, which would likely have given him a deeper voice similar to that of adult males, and he would have been capable of fathering children. However, his shorter stature may have made him look younger, resembling a child, which could have influenced how he was regarded by others in his community.
Jennifer French, an archaeologist from the University of Liverpool and part of the study’s team, adds, “The detailed information about the physical attributes and developmental phases of these Ice Age teens that we obtained from our research offers a new perspective for understanding their burial practices and posthumous treatment.”
A collaborative effort involving researchers from six institutions has contributed to this knowledge: UVic (Canada), University of Reading and University of Liverpool (UK), Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology of Monaco (Monaco), University of Cagliari (Italy), and University of Siena (Italy). They continue to work together on studies related to the lives and social dynamics of Ice Age adolescents.
This research received support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, along with the Lansdowne Fellowship Award held by Nowell.
