Neanderthal's Brain Summary

Neanderthals share many biological similarities to that of modern day humans, giving rise to the idea of a Neanderthal humanity. One similarity was shown in a recent article published in 2013 on a scientific study done on the Neanderthal hyoid bone called the Kebra 2 hyoid which was found in 1898 in the Kebra caves. The article is called Micro-Biomechanics of the Kebra 2 Hyoid and Its Implications for Speech in Neanderthals. The study involved using a range of computational techniques to examine the mechanical nature and differences between the Neanderthal hyoid and human hyoid bones. The results from the study found, examining the macroscopic anatomy of the Kebra 2 hyoid that it was virtually identical to that of a human’s hyoid bone. Many

Research speculates that the modern humans and Neanderthals coexisted in Europe for around 5,000 years. To put that into perspective, 5,000 years is around 250 generations in “human-time.” Sharing about 99.5% DNA with the Neanderthals, the largest bone in the foot may be one of the biggest differences that set the modern humans apart to out-live the Neanderthals. Both Neanderthals and modern humans have arched feet, but the height of heal differs. Dr David Raichlen found that because the heal of the Neanderthal was taller, it proved less spring during running and also stabilized the ankle. This made the Neanderthals known for walking, and to which why the lower heal increased the ability for modern humans to out run its closest cousin.

In the film, Neanderthals on Trial, numerous questions are presented regarding where Neanderthals fit into our evolutionary history. Were they ancestors to modern humans or were they an evolutionary dead end? Are they physically similar enough to be considered humans? Did their level of intelligence match ours or was it inferior? The film provides information on the evidence found to support their assumptions about who the Neanderthals were. There is debate between those who believe Neanderthals were a different species and those who believe they are a subspecies of humans. Despite some anthropologists believing the Neanderthals are not a species of humans, there is evidence supporting that they are, through DNA analysis, as well as analysis of cranial features, stone tools, and behavior, as depicted in the film.

Common portrayals of Neanderthals to the public often include images that depict them as your typical cavemen, with clubs for weapons and animal fur for clothes, and faces that resemble chimpanzees. The stereotype that cavemen are devoid of common knowledge is often paired up with these group of people; however, a study published this August by a team of archaeologists suggest that the ability to procure tar and use it as a primitive form of adhesive to make complex tools, proves their cleverness and resourcefulness that is often overlooked. In The New York Times, the article summarizes the study’s findings by demonstrating several methods the Neanderthals could have used to make tar. In general, the team of archaeologists tested out a few

This evidence comes from comparisons done of anatomically modern humans in areas such as Europe and Africa. The appearance of anatomically modern humans is associated with an increase in neurological capacity, and this increase in complex thinking can be seen through material resources collected in sites that date to the first appearance of anatomically modern humans. Material resources were collected in Europe that date to a time period known to most archaeologists and anthropologists as the Upper Paleolithic Revolution. This occurred roughly 40,000 years ago and shows a major expansion in various aspects of human life such as technology and

Contemporary Europeans have roughly three times more Neanderthal variable in their genes involved in lipid catabolism than Asian and African people. Even though Neanderthals are extinct, small pieces of their genomes tend to exist in modern humans. These similarities are unevenly distributed across the genome and some regions are particularly enriched with Neanderthal variants. While analyzing the influence of Neanderthal variants on lipid processing in modern humans, the researchers found revolutionary changes in lipid concentration and expression of metabolic enzymes in brains of humans of European

Neanderthals are the predecessor to anatomically modern humans. They were hunters, cared for their wounded and the dead, lived rough lives, and are considered to be a highly successful species (who). Living between 180-40 thousand years ago, Neanderthals were considered to be a part of the middle paleolithic era (when). Living in both Europe and southern Asia, Neanderthals never migrated into Africa (where). They co-existed with anatomically modern humans; however the time of coexistence is debatable. Unlike today’s humans, they had a significantly larger head, accounting for a significantly larger brain (what). However, they were equipped with a much smaller frontal lobe, which means they had less capacity and ability for forethought. They

Neanderthals were a species of archaic humans who migrated out of Africa and into Europe and Asia. However, around 40,000 years ago the large populations of Neanderthals died off and became extinct. The mysterious circumstances that surrounded their extinction drove various research teams to undertake the task of excavating numerous Neanderthal sites to collect fossilized bones, and artifacts in order to learn more about this group of ancestral humans. Over the past years, major technological advances have allowed researches to analyze the fossilized remains of the Neanderthals which led to major discoveries. For example, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology found that the ear ossicles of Neanderthals and modern humans had similar functions but differed in terms of structure. In the study, the researchers used high-resolution computer tomography (CT) to scan numerous Neanderthal skulls from different sites in order to determine if there are ossicles present in the middle ear cavity (tympanic membrane). The scans revealed ossicles in fourteen different skulls which came as a surprise to the researchers since the bones of the ossicles are fragile and break down easily in the soil. The researchers then used microcomputed tomography scans and 3D geometric morphometrics in order to virtually reconstruct the bones of the ossicles which are composed of the malleus, incus and stapes. The 3D reconstructions of the ossicles allowed the scientists to

Decoding Neanderthals is an analysis of the Neanderthal genome shows that modern humans and Neanderthals had interbred some 60,000 years ago. It all started with our ancestors making their way from Africa to Europe. The ones who were in Africa evolved into humans and the ones who went to Europe developed into Neanderthals. They were also known as “Cavemen”. People saw them as some type of weird specie but the more you learn about them the more you start to realize that they are a lot like us humans.

       In the article, "Brain ontogeny and life history in Homo erectus" by Steven R. Leigh discussed Homo erectus provided meaningful insights about the evolution of human ontogeny, life history, as well as cognition. The similarity between hominins is determined by testing three hypotheses (Leigh 105). With that being said, Mojokerto's absolute brain size is expected to be 0.5 - 1.5 year old H. sapiens (Leigh 105). The cranial

An ancient human species, known as the Neanderthals, emerged into this world 300,000 to 100,000 years ago. The Neanderthals occupied Eurasia, from Europe to Central Asia. During this time, Europe was in an Ice Age, which means the Neanderthals had a difficult time surviving because of the harsh weather. Around 24,000 years ago, this species disappeared; this was around the time when the Homo sapiens arrived from their original home in Africa (Tuttle). Even though the modern humans showed up and started competing for food and land, the Neanderthals were skilled in a variety of areas. According to the journal Smithsonian, Neanderthals learned how to control fire for warmth and cooking, make clothing for the severe weather conditions, and become

History has shown that Neanderthals disappeared just after the human species began to form. It was a simple matter of our intelligence outlasting their strength. This is where scientists believed Neanderthals had very little brainpower. With limited stone tools and the absence of art, Neanderthals showed that they were noticeably less advanced than modern humans. Due to findings in genetics and archaeology, the idea that Neanderthals showed little intelligence was questioned. The Neanderthals actually made very efficient stone tools that aided them in tasks such as hunting. The scientists in the documentary found that the technologies of the Neanderthals were much more complicated than the technology of modern humans as far as producing them. For example, stone making showed just how complex the technologies of the Neanderthals were. They were able to make stones that allowed for a specific point of sharpness that

Upon investigating the bones Schmerling did not recognize them as a distinct species (Sawyer et al. 2007).The first true Neanderthal was discovered in the Neander Valley, near Dusseldorf in 1856 by a group of miners who were blasting out a cave in the area. When the crew uncovered archaic bones they contacted a local schoolteacher, Johann Karl Fuhlrott. Fuhlrott was the first to recognize the fossils as a new species. In 1864, William King in the Quarterly Journal of Science identified this new species as Homo neanderthalensis after the location of its unearthing (Sawyer et al. 2007).

The first Neanderthal remains, discovered in Germany in 1856, were presented to the world of science at a meeting of the Lower Rhine Medical and Natural History Society held in Bonn in February 1857 and named a species, Homo neanderthalensis, by William King in 1864. Some Neanderthal fossils and other remains are in excellent condition, giving a good idea of Neanderthal culture. In 1887, two complete skeletons were found in a cave near Spy in Belgium, and more from sites in France in 1887, 1908 and 1911. These and other finds showed that the Neanderthals had populated Europe widely from about 130,000 to 28,000 years ago after which they became extinct. Most of these fossils were found in caves. Usually they are associated with cold

Archeologists have discovered what is believed to be evidence of Neanderthal man's belief in life after death. They found the remains of several Neanderthals buried with such items as