A team led by the Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana studied fossil teeth from the Payre site in southeastern France. The material comes from nine teeth found in layers linked to the Middle Pleistocene, around 250,000 years ago. The research focuses on how early Neanderthal populations in Europe changed over time and across regions.
The scientists examined each tooth using micro-CT scans and geometric morphometric analysis. These tools allowed them to record surface shape and internal structures, including enamel and dentine boundaries. Dental tissue proportions were also measured. The approach gave access to details not visible in older studies of the same fossils.
Payre sits within a period known as Marine Isotope Stage 7. Human fossils from this time are rare, and their place in Neanderthal evolution has been debated for years. Some researchers link them closely to later Neanderthals. Others see stronger ties to earlier Middle Pleistocene groups.
The Payre teeth do not fall into a single pattern. Some features align with fossils from Biache-Saint-Vaast and Montmaurin-La Niche in France. Others show similarities with the Sima de los Huesos sample from Atapuerca in Spain, which belongs to an earlier stage of human evolution in Europe.
Variation appears inside the Payre sample itself. Teeth from lower layers, especially front teeth, show simpler shapes linked with earlier human groups. Upper layers show more derived Neanderthal traits. This pattern appears across the small set of nine teeth, not only between sites but also within the same excavation sequence.
The study places this variation within a broader climate context. Europe during the Middle Pleistocene went through repeated shifts in temperature and environment. These shifts changed habitats and movement routes for human groups. Populations split, stayed isolated for long periods, then came into contact again. This pattern fits the mixed dental signals seen at Payre.
The results link Neanderthal evolution with regional population structure rather than a single linear progression. Different groups in Europe followed separate paths while still sharing a common background. The Payre fossils fit into this picture as one of the few direct records from MIS 7.
Researchers also highlight the value of older fossil collections. The Payre teeth were found years ago and studied before, yet new imaging methods revealed internal details not available earlier. Structures inside the teeth added new data to the discussion about Neanderthal variation.
The study places Payre alongside other key sites in Europe, including Biache-Saint-Vaast, Montmaurin-La Niche, and Sima de los Huesos. Together, these sites show a wide spread of traits across time and geography during the Middle Pleistocene.
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