Neanderthals were more up for a bit of nookie

Neanderthals were more likely to want a bit of nookie than people are today, new research has revealed.

Researchers from the universities of Liverpool, Oxford, Southampton and Calgary have found that Neanderthals were more likely to be promiscuous.

The scientists looked at the length of their fossilised ring finger bones and found that they were longer than what people have today.

By looking at the ratio between the index finger and the ring finger, the researchers could work out how much testosterone Neanderthals were exposed to during development.

A longer ring finger suggests higher levels of testosterone, which made them more competitive and promiscuous.

In comparison, a shorter ring finger has been more closely associated with monogamy.

Emma Nelson, from the University of Liverpool's School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, said: "We have shown that promiscuous primate species have low index to ring finger ratios, while monogamous species have high ratios."

Posted by Bob Freeman
 

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