Using plaque from several Neanderthals, an international team of researchers has revealed some of the dietary habits of our nearest extinct relative that suggest that they had an understanding of medicine.
Researchers found traces of poplar, which contains salicylic acid, a form of which is the active ingredient found in Aspirin in the plaque from the Neanderthals. They also found traces of a mould called penicillium, which helped produce the first antibiotic, penicillin.
