An international team of researchers has discovered the earliest Neanderthal footprints in Portugal along the Algarve coast, dating back up to 82,000 years. These findings reveal insights into Neanderthal behavior, social structure, and diet. The site highlights their adaptability in coastal environments.
An international team led by geologist and palaeontologist Carlos Neto de Carvalho from IDL-University of Lisbon and the Naturtejo UNESCO Global Geopark has identified a previously unknown Neanderthal site on Portugal's Algarve coast. The discovery, published in Scientific Reports by Nature Publishing Group, provides the earliest evidence of Neanderthal hominids in Portugal and marks progress in understanding their occupation of the Atlantic coastline during the Pleistocene. Contributors include Fernando Muñiz Guinea from the University of Seville, along with researchers from Portugal, Spain, Gibraltar, Italy, Denmark, and China.
The footprints were found at two locations: Praia do Monte Clérigo, dated to about 78,000 years ago, and Praia do Telheiro, dated to roughly 82,000 years ago. At Monte Clérigo, five trackways and 26 individual footprints were identified, made by adults and children slightly over a year old on the slope of an ancient coastal dune. Praia do Telheiro yielded a single footprint from a teenager or adult woman, near fossilized bird tracks typical of coastal habitats.
Unlike bones or tools, which can be displaced, footprints capture instantaneous moments of activity, confirming exact locations of movement. "Footprints record a specific moment, almost instantaneously, allowing us to reconstruct what was happening; for example, a group walk, a chase, a flight, or presence in a particular landscape. The footprints show how Neanderthals used space, how they explored coastal environments, forests, dunes or riverbanks, something that is difficult to infer solely from artifacts," explain Neto de Carvalho and Muñiz.
Analysis of footprint size and arrangement reveals group composition, including children and infants, suggesting family units and social organization. Trackways indicate route selection, proximity to camps, and hunting strategies, with some human prints alongside contemporaneous deer tracks, implying pursuit or ambush in dunes.
Ecological network analysis compares the site to other Iberian coastal locations, showing Neanderthals relied on deer, horses, hares, and marine foods. This demonstrates greater flexibility and environmental skill than previously assumed, adding depth to their ecological and cognitive adaptability.