The well-preserved remains of a baby boy who died 17,000 years ago in what is now Italy reveal that he had blue eyes, dark skin and curly hair.
Scientists have unspooled the life history of an ice age baby who lived in southern Italy about 17,000 years ago, revealing the child most likely died from a congenital heart disease. The tiny remains of the youngster also showed evidence of poor development and inbreeding, while a DNA analysis revealed that the child was male and likely had blue eyes, dark skin and curly dark-brown to almost black hair, according to a new study, published Sept. 20 in the journal Nature Communications . Mauro Calattini , an archaeologist at the University of Siena and one of the study authors, found the child's grave in 1998 while excavating the Grotta delle Mura cave in Monopoli, a town in the southeastern Puglia region, or the "heel" of Italy's boot. The burial was covered by two rock slabs and held well-preserved and intact skeletal remains of the baby. There were no grave goods, and it was the only burial found in the cave. It's rare to find the well-preserved remains of a baby who lived shortly after the Last Glacial Maximum 20,000 years ago, when ice sheets were at their greatest extent. Places like southern Italy were slightly warmer than other parts of continental Europe at that time and likely provided a refuge for the people who buried the baby boy. Related: Burial of infant 'Neve' could be oldest of its kind in Europe A skeletal analysis revealed that the child died when he was about 1 year and 4 months old. The child's teeth…