For this blog I decided to focus mainly on Neanderthals. With the discovery and completion of the Neanderthal genome we are beginning to discover traces of Neanderthals in modern human groups. This suggests that there was some inbreeding, although very uncommon. This discovery has also lead us to understand the behavior between regional archaics and anatomically modern humans. From this we can determine that anatomically moderns where so successful because they were solving problems and being innovative.
An interesting fact from their fossilized remains is that they actually had bigger brains than modern humans, the average size being around 1520 ccs, compared to 1350-1400. Their teeth, however, were the opposite, since they have large front teeth and small, fused molars. Their bones were also large and dense, suggesting a rough, active lifestyle. While their bodies were somewhat similar, they tended to be shorter and stockier. Their fossils also suggested that children matured and advanced faster than children do now. They were also better acclimated to colder climates.
What is interesting to me is that even though we still have some of their DNA and share some similarities, they didn’t have symbolic behavior, especially when it comes to art. This is surprising since many people relate neanderthals to cave art. They also used tools, although they were simple compared to modern tools.
One interesting fact that I took from this week, and possibly the biggest contribution, is the finding of the FOXP2 gene. This gene is related to speech, which suggests that neanderthals may have been able to speak. This could symbolize the beginning of human language. I personally wonder how they would have sounded. It’s curious that they were somewhat advanced in some areas, used tools, had large brains and advanced faster, yet weren’t symbolically advanced.
Paleoanthropologists were able to study fossilized remains by using a few methods: 1. Studying growth rings on teeth. 2. Studying the bone/skull structure. 3. Analyzing remains with old wounds.
When studying their skull structures, we leaned that they had occipital buns, which modern humans don’t have, sloped foreheads with large brow ridges, protruding faces and large noses, and less pronounced chins.
Another large contribution of these studies was finding out that we still share a percentage of Neanderthal DNA. We like to believe that we have advanced far beyond them, but clearly we haven’t and still have a long way to go. The surprising thing is that even though they originated mostly in Africa, the majority of people who share the DNA aren’t African, but European and Asian. Evidence suggests that Neanderthals and modern humans evolved from a common ancestor somewhere between 500,000 and 200,000 years ago. Not the most accurate, but it still helps us to understand the timeline. Both inhabited the same areas for 30,000-50,000 years, with Neanderthals dying off around 40,000 years ago.
Studying Neanderthals is fascinating to me. They show a good in-between point between our common ancestor and the modern humans that we are today. They were advanced in some areas, yet lacking in others, which we eventually gained. It makes me wonder how much further humans will evolve, and if humans from the future might look back on us like we do to them.
Hi Jackie! Even though inbreeding between Neanderthals and modern humans, to some, is not a very common belief, there has to be some sort of explanation as to how some human genomes contain the Neanderthal gene. I agree about the physical features that you described. There is so much similarity between modern humans and Neanderthals, but so many differences as well. I find it amazing that these species brain sizes are larger than the modern human, but we have more organization and creativity to ourselves. You would think it’s the opposite. I also find it amazing that the FOXP2 gene is within the Neanderthal genome. There had to be a speech trait within them if they hunted and had such a rough lifestyle. It is crazy to think about how much more we have to evolve from what we are now, and that evolution continues right before our eyes!
I also wrote part of my blog post about the Neanderthals’ lack of art and symbolism, and about the beginnings of language. I think these aspects of Neanderthal culture are the most interesting things we learned this week. I wonder just how syntactically advanced the language of the Neanderthals might have been, or if it was more of a basic communication system than a full blown language (as we know languages today). It’s a shame that we well never be able to hear what it would have sounded like. Also that because of the lack of art and symbolism we probably won’t get a very in depth look into Neanderthal cognition, although I guess that’s something that’s hard with any ancestors.
Hey Jackie! I thought you did a really great job on your blog post. I also decided to focus my blog post on Neanderthals as well. I also pointed out that Neanderthals actually have larger brains than modern day humans as well. I also found it interesting that the FOXP2 gene that is related to speech was found in Neanderthals as well. I appreciated you listing the three ways that paleoanthropologists are able to study the remains of the Neanderthals. I think its interesting how you phrased your observation “We like to believe that we have advances far beyond them but clearly we haven’t,” and I think it’s a fascinating way of looking at evolution to this date. Overall I agree that studying Neanderthals is incredibly interesting and I share your interest in wanting to see how humans will continue to evolve.
Hi Jackie, great job on your blog. It was nice to read information about Neanderthals from your point of view to get a sense of how you understood the material in comparison to my own understanding. I think that most of us have noted how similar the traits and characteristics of Neanderthals are to the traits and characteristics of the modern human, and I think it’s great that we all can pull that out of what we’re being taught. I like that you talked about how we still share a percentage of DNA from Neanderthals. I also thought that was an interesting piece of information. I agree with what you said about how we might believe that nowhere near connected to them and I think that most people would say that if they were told that they had Neanderthal DNA; but, as you’ve stated we clearly haven’t evolved that much to the point where they are completely non-existent in terms of how we are made up.
Hey Jackie! I found it interesting to hear so succinctly that neanderthals did not have symbolic behavior, yet had access to speech, provided by the FOX2 gene. I had assumed that speech was symbolic, unless that is language? If speech is different than language, then what is speech? Also what interested me was the mention that the brains of neanderthals were lager than ours are now. What did this extra capacity mean for them? it obviously did not translate into symbolic behavior, which seems to imply that a larger brain is not necessarily better. I have many questions haha.
Hi Jackie! I found your comparison between modern humans and Neanderthals very interesting. Bones can help anthropologists learn a lot about the lifestyle of organisms like Neanderthals. Neanderthals were very muscular indicating they had a an active and rough life. The most interesting discovery was the finding of the child skeleton found at the devil’s tower. On studying the brain of the child, the scientists discovered a lot about Neanderthals. They were able to compare the findings to that of modern humans. They found that Neanderthals children had more advanced brains than modern human children. This information has been of great value to us. We were able to understand our own anatomy. Neanderthals also had huge brain size, which can also provide some insight into our brain size.
Hello!
I loved reading all the blog posts about the Neanderthals. Starting with their features such as them having a larger brain than the modern day human. I found it also intresting that they found that heir bones were large and dense like you said that we can link that to them having an active life style. I really liked how you mentioned how they didn’t have symbolic behavior. In my other response I mentioned how its popular in our culture to link Neanderathals to cave man art work. I learned also about the FOXP 2 gene and how that proves they had some sort of language. I agree with you i wonder how their language sounded since they didn’t understand symbolism. I wonder if their language was more of grunts and nosies are something like our language.