The Ancient Girl Whose DNA Revealed Her Parents Were Two Different Human Species

But their presence in the cave suggests that at least some of its inhabitants were capable of complex, symbolically meaningful behavior.

The Neanderthals, for their part, have been increasingly associated with symbolic behavior through findings at other sites — evidence of ochre use, possible burials with grave goods, the possible making of art and personal ornaments at European sites.

The question of whether Neanderthal symbolic behavior was equivalent to, less developed than, or developed independently from modern human symbolic behavior is still debated.

Denny herself, as an individual, is silent on these questions.