A new analysis of Neanderthal fossils suggests that their feet worked differently from ours, shaped by heavy bodies, long days on uneven ground and, possibly, a distinct inheritance from earlier human relatives.
Neanderthal heel and ankle joints suggest they typically walked with a flatter, inward-rolling foot. Image credit: Holger Neumann / Neanderthal Museum.
“The human foot is one of the anatomical structures that best demonstrate our complex evolutionary history, and among the bones it is composed of, the heel plays a crucial role: it is the first structure to touch the ground when walking, cushioning the impact and transmitting the forces to push us forward,” said Professor Maria Giovanna Belcastro, a researcher at the University of Bologna.
“The 3D analysis of the fossil heels of our ancient cousins, the Neanderthals, has therefore allowed us to highlight both an extraordinary biomechanical adaptation to withstand heavy loads and rough terrains, and the impact of modern life and footwear on our feet.”
For the study, the researchers used 3D scans of seven Neanderthal heel bones, or calcanei, and 64 from Homo sapiens.
The Neanderthal sample included specimens from La Ferrassie, La Chapelle, Regourdou, El Sidrón and Spy.
The Homo sapiens sample ranged from Ice Age hunter-gatherers to residents of 19th- and 20th-century Bologna.
Using a technique called geometric morphometrics, which captures the shape of a bone with hundreds of digital points, the scientists found that Neanderthal heel bones were consistently distinct from those of every modern human group.
Compared with Homo sapiens, the Neanderthal calcaneus was shorter front to back, wider side to side and taller from top to bottom.
The authors interpret this as a sturdier bone suited to carrying heavy loads and walking long distances.
The overall size of Neanderthal heel bones fell within the range of modern humans, so the distinction lies in shape.
“The robustness of the heel reflects the overall body structure of Neanderthals, which is characterized by a remarkable muscular and bone mass and an extremely intense level of physical activity,” Professor Belcastro said.
“These physical characteristics indicate an adaptation aimed at promoting a greater load-bearing capacity on the back of the foot and a high mobility on uneven ground.”
Early Homo sapiens from the Middle East, dated to roughly 120,000 to 90,000 years ago, and later hunter-gatherers showed traits resembling the Neanderthal pattern, though less pronounced.
Those groups are thought to have been highly mobile and probably walked barefoot or in soft foot coverings.
The most sedentary group, the Bologna sample, whose members habitually wore heavy shoes and boots, had the most slender heel bones.
“The morphology of our skeleton is not only the product of a strict genetic program, but also the consequence of physical stimuli and our daily life habits,” Professor Belcastro said.
“The results of this study therefore offer a fundamental contribution to better understand how our ancestors moved in their natural environment and open fascinating prospects for dialogue between evolutionary anthropology and clinical orthopedics.”
The study was published in the October 2026 issue of the Journal of Human Evolution.
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Rita Sorrentino et al. 2026. Neanderthal’s heel: How the Neanderthal’s external calcaneal shape uniquely differs from that of modern humans. Journal of Human Evolution 219: 103887; doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2026.103887
