From an article published on the BBC News web site on 7th April 2005:

Ancient hominids from the Caucasus may have fed and cared for their elderly, a new fossil find has indicated.
The 1.77 million-year-old specimen, which is described in Nature magazine, was completely toothless and well over 40; a grand old age at the time.

This may suggest that the creature lived in a complex society which was capable of showing compassion.

These hominids – like humans – may also have valued the old for their years of acquired knowledge, researchers think.

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