Neanderthals are proving to have even more in common with their human descendants and researchers are still learning new things about the ancient species.
According to Live Science, authors of a study published in the journal PLOS One identified eight eagle talons that apparently were once strung together as a necklace. The talons were first found in a Neanderthal cave in Croatia dating back 130,000 years.
"Neanderthals are often thought of to be simple-minded mumbling, bumbling, stumbling fools," study co-author David Frayer, a professor emeritus of anthropology at the University of Kansas, said in a press release. "But the more we know about them the more sophisticated they've become.
"There's just no doubt that they made it, and it was a necklace or bracelet or piece of jewelry."
He also said the study adds to a growing perception that Neanderthals were closer culturally and societally to modern humans than previously thought.
"It really is absolutely stunning," Frayer told Live Science. "It fits in with this general picture that's emerging that Neanderthals were much more modern in their behavior."
But obtaining the jewelry pieces probably was not easy, likely adding to its allure.
"Eagle talons are not easy to find," he said. "My guess is that they were catching the birds live - which also isn't easy."
It is a testament to Neanderthals' sophistication in style and hunting.
"It's really a stunning discovery. It's one of those things that just appeared out of the blue. It's so unexpected and it's so startling because there's just nothing like it until very recent times to find this kind of jewelry," Frayer said in the release. "It's associated with fossils that people don't like to consider to be human."
