Deformed head shapes in fossilized humans show their infants were probably just as helpless as modern human babies

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New research indicates that archaic human infants were as helpless as modern human babies, requiring extensive parental care. The study highlights similarities in developmental challenges across human evolution, such as deformational plagiocephaly or flat head syndrome caused by immobility in infancy.

Archaic human parents had to look after helpless infants like modern-day parents do, according to new research. Human babies are born less developed than those of other great apes and are therefore unable to move as freely. A common result is deformational plagiocephaly, also called flat head syndrome.