Cave of La Naulette

The paleontological discovery at the Cave of La Naulette is scientifically very important because it was one of the first paleoanthropological sites to provide tangible evidence of human evolution, shortly after the appearance of Darwin's revolutionary theory of evolution.

In 1866, Neanderthal fossils (lower jaw, ulna, and carpal bone) were discovered for the first time in La Naulette, clearly lying in the same layer as fossils of extinct animals such as mammoths, rhinoceroses, and reindeer. This demonstrated that these hominids predated modern humans by thousands of years, in a way that could be scientifically verified. Unlike previous finds, such as those in the Neander Valley, the context here was well-established, leaving no doubt about the age and authenticity.

All of this constituted direct evidence for evolution. The Neanderthal remains from La Naulette had anatomically distinct features, demonstrating that other human species had existed. Paul Broca, an influential anatomist, labeled the La Naulette lower jaw the first "anatomical fact" in favor of Darwin's theory of evolution.

Around 1866, Darwin's theory of evolution was still hotly contested. La Naulette provided an irrefutable piece of the puzzle in the debate: he provided physical evidence that modern humans have an evolutionary history and that more than one human species existed. This helped break down resistance to the concept of evolution.

Belgian paleontologist Edouard Dupont achieved international fame after his discovery was widely discussed in Paris and London. These findings are still cited worldwide as milestones in paleoanthropology.

Pascal Brackman