Recent research has uncovered that teenagers who lived during the Ice Age, between 10,000 and 30,000 years ago, went through puberty at ages similar to modern teens. An international team of archaeologists, led by bioarchaeologist Mary Lewis from the University of Reading, studied the skeletal remains of 13 adolescents from sites across Italy, Russia, and Czechia. The findings, published on September 12 in The Journal of Human Evolution, reveal key insights into the stages of puberty among these ancient individuals.
Puberty in Ice Age Adolescents
The study focused on “maturation markers” in the bones, which helped the researchers track different stages of puberty, including growth spurts, menstruation, and the final fusion of bones indicating sexual maturity. Babies are born with more bones than adults, which gradually fuse together as they grow, a process that offers important clues to human development.
The researchers found that Ice Age teens experienced their growth spurt between the ages of 13 and 16, similar to modern hunter-gatherer groups. However, full physical maturity occurred between 16 and 21, slightly later than in today’s Western societies, where adolescents typically mature between 16 and 18 years.
Surprising Consistency in Puberty Ages
Lewis and her team were surprised to discover that Ice Age teens started puberty around 13.5 years old, aligning closely with modern estimates. This suggests a potential “genetic blueprint” for human sexual maturation. However, one significant difference was found in the onset of menstruation, with Ice Age females likely beginning menstruation no earlier than 16 or 17 years old later than today’s U.S. average of 11.9 years, but more consistent with modern hunter-gatherer groups.
Glimpse into Ancient Adolescence
April Nowell, a Paleolithic archaeologist from the University of Victoria, emphasizes that this research provides a long-term perspective on human development, showing that the pattern of puberty has remained largely unchanged for thousands of years. This discovery offers new insights into the lives of Ice Age adolescents and how their developmental timelines compare to those of today’s teens.
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