Exam review, Neanderthals Flashcards
H. neanderthalensis lives when
200 – 30 kya
H. neanderthalensis thrived where
thrived in Western Europe and the Middle East (during colder seasons) during the Upper Pleistocene
where was H. neanderthalensis found
The earliest evidence for Neanderthals comes from Atapuerca, Spain
what is the lumper/splitter debate on H. neanderthalensis
Splitters (long dominant in this debate) argue that Neanderthals comprise a separate species (H. neanderthalensis). Lumpers prefer to classify Neanderthals as a subspecies of modern humans (H. sapiens neanderthalensis).
Like Paranthropines, Neanderthals represent an___________
evolutionary dead-end
It is now clear that Neanderthals began to diverge from who
. heidelbergensis
when did that Neanderthals began to diverge from from H. heidelbergensis
Europe between 600 and 400 kya
what were the • These were the first pre-modern human remains to be ultimately recognized as such considered as
The first Neanderthal fossils were discovered in 1856 by German lime miners in a small cave near Düsseldorf. Finds consisted of a large, robust cranium and some associated, similarly – robust post-cranial bones. The workers initially thought them to be cave bear bones.
The original Neanderthal cave site.
• These were the first pre-modern human remains to be ultimately recognized as such. Herman Schaaffhausen, a Bonn University anatomy professor argued that they were ancient, based largely upon their context and mineralization. He believed they belonged to a now “barbarous and savage race” of extinct Germans.
what did Early Critiques say about the discovery of the neanderthal bones
The antiquity of these specimens was not universally accepted; Rudolf Virchow, one of Germany’s most prominent biologists argued that the remains represented a diseased modern human.
• Virchow endorsed a widely – disseminated theory put forward by Bonn University biology professor August Mayer that each of the distinct morphological features represented injuries and associated afflictions related to horseback riding
Mayer ultimately concluded that the individual was a Cossack cavalryman from the early 19th century
what is the Cranial Morphology of H. neanderthalensis
Cranial capacity is highest among all known hominins (~1500 cc).
• Cranial vault is not well-elevated above the orbits, long and low.
• A strong occipital bun.
• A low degree of postorbital
constriction.
• Very robust supraorbital tori.
• A high degree of mid-facial prognathism and a wide nasal aperture/nose.
• Still no (true) chin!
how was the nose an adaption
Large nasal cavity warmed cold air before reaching the lungs and brain?
• HOWEVER, modern humans tend to display the opposite tendancy (long, narrow noses to restrict cold air flow among northern populations, and broad noses to diffuse heat among tropical populations)
• Increased bite force, so more robust mid-face?
• HOWEVER, Paranthropines NOT the most prognathic; robusticity on the temporal (left and right sides) of the face (remember the zygomatic arches!)
• NO good explanation for large nose, textbook suggests genetic drift via isolation (founder’s effect).
Post-Cranial Morphology of H. neanderthalensis
Generally, very strongly built; average bone density is around twice that of modern humans.
• Shorter than modern humans; stocky with shorter forearms and lower legs.
• More joint-surface space, indicating heavier weight (likely much more muscular)
Much larger chest cavity.
• Wider pelvis and a longer pelvic bone (where the innominate bones meet).
• Shorter, denser phalanges (finger bones) for grasping.
how does H. neanderthalensis
Body Proportions relate to Environment
environmental conditions, particularly temperature, are often directly related to body proportions.
• Bergmann’s rule (which we have seen before) states that warm - blooded organisms in higher (and colder) latitudes are larger and heavier than those closer to the tropics. They retain more body heat per unit of mass.
• Allen’s rule, similarly, states that these higher - latitude organisms will be stockier (with shorter limbs), also allowing for retention of body heat.
• Neanderthals have a body structure combining both of these principles
what is Allen’s rule
similarly, states that these higher - latitude organisms will be stockier (with shorter limbs), also allowing for retention of body heat
Neanderthals traits become most distinct when
at the beginning of the Upper Pleistocene, just as temperatures around the world begin to drop dramatically. At this time, the majority of continental Europe consisted of taiga (boreal) forests
Those Neanderthals living in the Middle East were only doing so when
during the coldest months of the year
Neanderthals were a uniquely ____- temperature adapted hominin species
Neanderthals were a uniquely cold- temperature adapted hominin species
Within the Neanderthal toolkit, we have a unique body of stone tools known as what
the Mousterian tradition, after the French site Le Moustier, where examples were first found
Mousterian tools are associated only with who
Neanderthals
what is included in Mousterian tools
consist mainly of hand axes, scrapers, knives, denticulates and points
what is Levallois
Makers utilized a prepared core technique known as Levallois, which involved essentially forming the finished flake tool on the core before it’s removed. This involves an impressive amount of forethought and skill
how were teeth considered tools of the neanderthals
The incisors and molars of many Neanderthals show evidence of having been used as tools, both to grasp objects while working, or to soften tough hides, as do Inuit when preparing seal and caribou skins for clothing
what was the diet of neanderthals
For the first time (as far as we’re aware), hominins were subsisting more on animal resources than vegetation, edible varieties of which were only seasonally available
Hunting of very large game must be done in groups; this requires a significant amount of planning and coordination
what is the Archaeological Evidence
for Vegetable Resources for neanderthals
Chemical studies of Neanderthal bones show
they had a predominantly carnivorous diet.
• However, recent study of dental calculus (solidified plaque) on Neanderthal teeth had direct evidence of plant foods.
• At Shanidar (Iraq, a warmer environment), they were eating some legumes, dates, and barley that was “cooked in a wet environment” i.e. baked or boiled. MUCH more sophisticated food preparation than we expected! (No grindstones in Neanderthal technology.)
• At Spy (Belgium, a colder environment) they were eating water lily bulbs. No evidence of cooking there
