The Fossil Evidence of Neanderthal

During the 2.5 million years of human evolution, there have been several developmental offshoots. The different hominid branches, however, may be blurred by interbreeding. One European subspecies, Neanderthal, appeared approximately 125,000 years ago. Whether this subspecies eventually gave rise to modern humans is currently a topic of considerable controversy. On one side, researchers argue that modern Homo sapiens evolved gradually from existing hominid populations throughout the world. In contrast, others postulate that H. sapiens developed in Africa 200,000 years ago, and then replaced other archaic hominid types. The truth may be that both arguments are partially correct.

The human lineage began with the emergence of Homo habilis: a hominid that walked upright, had a relatively large brain, and used stone tools. Then, about 1.6 million years ago, H. habilis gave rise to new species, Homo erectus. H. erectus had an even larger brain than his ancestor. This enabled the hominid to migrate out of Africa into much of the Near East, Asia, and Europe. As time passed, the processes of natural selection eventually led to further evolution within the regional H. erectus populations. In Europe, H. erectus gave rise to an essentially modern variety of H. sapiens, Neanderthal.

Named after the location of its original discovery--the Neander Valley in Germany--Neanderthal made tools, used fire, and buried its dead. In fact, analyses

Related Essays

The Role of Neanderthal .... _. "On Neanderthal Speech and Human Evolution." Behavioral and Brain Sciences 19 (1996): 156-57. .... "Genetic and Fossil Evidence for the Origin of Modern Humans .... (2157 9 )

The Neanderthal Man A number of questions have been raised as a .... By contrast, the remains of Neanderthal man seem to possess characteristics which are both primitive and modern. The fossil evidence indicates that the .... (5601 22 )

Theories of Neanderthals .... _. "On Neanderthal Speech and Human Evolution." Behavioral and Brain Sciences 19 (1996): 156-57. .... "Genetic and Fossil Evidence for the Origin of Modern Humans .... (2157 9 )

Development of Human Life .... Fossil evidence in Asia dated in the late Pleistocene period .... 40,000 years ago) has uncovered evidence of what has .... as a late variant of Neanderthal Man (Kennedy .... (2689 11 )

New View of Neanderthal .... DNA samples from a Neanderthal fossil found in .... found at Tabun and Skhul provided similar evidence. .... ones from Tabun had Neanderthal characteristics (Springer .... (1672 7 )

of Krapina. Recent fossil evidence suggests that the hominid remains were defleshed in preparation for a secondary burial. For example, incised striations have been found on the surface of a juvenile hominid, Engis 2. Although the child died before reaching the age of 6 years, its skullcap has the distinctive Neanderthal shape. The evidence indicates that some time at or near the time of the death, the child's skull was repeatedly scored with a stone tool. Numerous densely cut cross-hatchings on the right zygomatic process of the frontal bone could only have been inflicted after the overlying soft tissues had first been removed. Such marks probably suggest that the child's cranium was defleshed. Many modern human societies have mortuary practices which feature the secondary burial of clean bones. The practice of burying the dead implies concern for the departed one. In addition, it may also indicate that Neanderthal had some concept of an afterlife. Thus, Neanderthal's psychological attributes may have been quite similar to those of modern H. sapiens. During the period of its existence Neanderthal spread across all of Europe, the Middle East, and western and central Asia. In fact, different populations of Nean

Category: Science - T