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World's Oldest Tumor Found In a Neanderthal Bone

Posted by samzenpus on from the first-isn't-always-best dept.

First time accepted submitter minty3 writes "A fibrous dysplasia tumor has been found in the bone of a Neanderthal that is more than 120,000 years old. The world's oldest tumor in a Neanderthal rib was part of a collection of bones, which were excavated more than 100 years ago from a site in Krapina, Croatia. They were X-rayed in the 1980s, and initially didn't reveal the tumor. It was only when scientists took a closer look at a radiograph where a rib fragment appeared to be 'burned out' did they return to the rib and subject it to higher quality scans."

6 of 46 comments (clear)

  1. Oldest *hominid* tumor, maybe by cunniff · · Score: 5, Informative

    Paleontologists have found 150-million-year-old dino tumors, see http://www.livescience.com/4013-dinosaur-tumor-studied-human-cancer-clues.html

    The university is welcoming four renowned curators from Carnegie Museum into its classrooms to teach seminars and use the museum collection, which is considered one of the world's premiere displays of natural history artifacts, for demonstrations. Included in the collection is a 150-million-year-old fossilized dinosaur bone complete with a tumor.

    I would not be surprised if there are even older amphibian tumor fossils out there somewhere.

    1. Re:Oldest *hominid* tumor, maybe by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 5, Funny

      Humans are the only species that matters though.

      Humans ... who are Americans.

      You needn't be so redundant, it's not as though there are non-American humans, so why belabor the obvious?

    2. Re:Oldest *hominid* tumor, maybe by Langalf · · Score: 4, Informative

      Well, that depends on who you talk to. One grouping has them as "Homo sapiens neanderthalensis".

  2. Well, well, well... by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 5, Funny

    Looks like the paleo diet didn't work for Grok after all...

    1. Re:Well, well, well... by simonbp · · Score: 4, Funny

      Obviously, it was caused the paleolithic nuclear reactor Grok was working at. They had very primitive safety systems.

  3. interview by iggymanz · · Score: 4, Funny

    When questioned, the Neanderthal said, "It's naht ah tumah!" and then ran off to fornicate with his housemaid.