Our Closest Relatives, the Neanderthals

1、Our Closest Relatives, the NeanderthalsBy: Stephen ThaiIntroductionnHomo NeanderthalensisnLived in Europe and Southwestern Asian138,000 to 28,000 years agoMostly an Ice AgenNever numbered more than 100,000n1856, Neander Valley, Germany1st Neanderthal skulls discoveredNeanderthals and HumansnCommon A

2、ncestorHomo Antecessor465,000 600,000 years ago378 unit mtDNA strandnHumans did not evolve from NeanderthalsnNo evidence of interbreeding (yet)Out of Africa Theoryn1 million years agoHomo antecessor migrates out, evolves into NeanderthalsnRemaining homo antecessor in Africa evolve into Homo sapiensn

3、100,000 years agoHumans migrate out, replacing other hominidsNeanderthal Bodies Relative to Humansn5 ft, 185 lbsnLarger noses, heads, bones, musclesBulkier, stronger than humansEfficient and well suited to cold environmentsnLess agileShort limbs, wide pelvisesLanguagenHyoid BoneAllows humans to prod

4、uce wide range of sounds necessary for languagenFOXP2 “Language gene”Responsible for humans cognitive ability to understand complex languagenBoth present in NeanderthalsnDid they speak a language?BrainsnApproximately 20% larger than human brainsBut proportionally, Neanderthal brains were smallernBac

5、k of the brainDeals with sight and touchWell developednFront of brainDeals with speech and thoughtRelatively small compared with backnLeft side of brain larger than rightRight handednShorter childhoodLess time to develop cognitive abilitiesBrain SizesCulturenSocial Unit Consisted of extended family

6、membersTook care of the sick and injuredMostly lived inside cavesnLike humansKnew how to use fireConstructed complex temporary structures for shelter when migratingSkinned animalsnLacked artBurialsn1st known hominids to bury deadnWas it a ritual or simply to avoid attracting scavengers?nSites contai

7、n multiple individualsnUsually inside caves/ rock sheltersnSome filled with items and pollenIntentional or no?nOccasional cannibalism Interaction with HumansnUsually avoided each other when possibleIncreasing numbers of humans in Neanderthal habitats made avoidance hardernCulture ChangesAdoption of

8、bone and ivory toolsPuncturing holes into animal bones for decoration nEarly form of art for NeanderthalsHuntingnMostly hunted, occasionally foragednWell suited to walking, running, huntingThickness and high density of leg bonesnKilled using stone point spears and axesRarely used ivory or bone until

9、 human interactionnWomen and sometimes even children huntedBoth men and women sustained numerous injuries from hunts broken limbsFew lived older than 30 yearsExtinction TheoriesnClimate ChangeSudden swings between warm and cold rapidly changed environmentKilled off many species that Neanderthals dep

10、ended on for foodNot intelligent enough to develop technology for surviving cold, esp. compared to humansnExtinction coincided w/ coldest period of Ice AgenNatural selection would favor humansFails to explain extinction in Middle East/ SW AsiaExtinction cont.nCompetition with HumansHomo sapiens more

11、 technologically advancednBetter tools for hunting and survivalDivision of labornHuman women did not hunt gatherersnNeanderthal women hunted higher rates of deathnResult: reduced birth rates and survival rates of young children for NeanderthalsnMore humans competing with less NeanderthalsnSequence t

12、he Neanderthal genomeDNA extracted from femur bone of 38,000 year old male fossil, CroatianHelped in discovery of FOXP2 geneNeanderthal Genome ProjectnDNA similaritiesHuman and Chimpanzee: 98.77%Human and Neanderthal: 99.5%Possible interbreeding?SummarynCommon ancestor Homo antecessor 465,000 600,00

13、00 years ago1st migration out of Africa evolved into Neanderthals2nd Migration evolved into humansnNeanderthals bigger, stronger, bulkiernMay have spoken a language Had hyoid bone and FOXP2 genenProportionally smaller brainsnCultureSocial units essential to survivalFirst known hominid burialsBoth me

14、n and women huntednExtinction TheoriesClimate ChangeCompetition with humansnNeanderthal Genome ProjectReferencesnHall, Stephen S. Last of the Neanderthals. 2008. National Geographic. Accessed 2 Nov. 2008 http:/ nKrause, Johannes. The Derived FOXP2 Variant of Modern Humans Was Shared with Neandertals

15、. Science Direct. 6 Nov. 2007. Elsevier Ltd. Accessed 24 Nov. 2008 nhttp:/ nKreger, C. David. Homo Neanderthalensis. Archaeology.Info. 2008. Accessed 8 Oct. 2008 http:/ nMellars, Paul. The Fate of the Neanderthals. Nature. 8 Oct. 1998. Accessed 3 Nov. 2008 http:/ nNeanderthal. BBC - Science & Na

16、ture - Horizon. BBC. Accessed 2 Nov. 2008 http:/www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/horizon/neanderthal_prog_summary.shtml nNeanderthal Men, An Extinct Race. Old and Sold. Accessed 3 Nov. 2008 http:/ nNeanderthals. Ecotao. 7 July 2008. Accessed 30 Oct. 2008 http:/ nNoonan, James P. Sequencing and Analysis of Neanderthal Genome DNA. Research Article. 17 Nov. 2006. Science Mag. Accessed 24 Nov. 2008 /publications/noonanetal06.pdf nONeil, Dennis.