Neanderthals Lecture 14

Question 1

Where was the first neanderthal discovered?

Answer 1

1856 in the Neader valley, Germany

Question 2

Who analysed the bones found in the Neander valley?

Answer 2

Herman Schaaffhausen

Question 3

Describe Neandertal 1

Answer 3

1) low vault
(primitive)

2) Heavy brow ridge
(primitive)

3) Large cranial capacity

Question 4

What were the interpretations of Neandertal 1?

Answer 4

1) Big brain indicated they were human. Thought they were a savage race of aborigines that inhabited Europe before celts.
2) Primitive looking because pathological but only defensible so long as only one specimen.
3) Extinct, primitive relative of Homo sapiens.

Question 5

What made people think that neanderthals couldn’t be ancestral to humans?

Answer 5

They found neanderthals and humans that were occurring around the same time.

Question 6

Today there are more than ____ individuals. So this means it wasn’t _______.

Answer 6

Today there are over 400 Neanderthal individuals. So this means it wasn’t pathological.

Question 7

List the differences between neanderthals and humans.

Answer 7

1) They have a more elongated skull
2) No canine fossa
3) Different shape of face and skull
4) No chin
5) Large nose (nasal aperture)
6) Bigger front teeth
7) Retromolar space
8) Zygomatic arch pushed back, making nose protrude more

Question 8

Describe the brains of neanderthals.

Answer 8

Initially, it was thought that neanderthals had bigger brains but they had more robust bodies so when accounting for body size their brains are not bigger than ours.

Looks like they had a smaller olfactory bulb but larger visual striate cortex so potentially more visual based sense.

Question 9

Describe the body size and proportions of neanderthals.

Answer 9

1) Bigger body mass due to highly developed musculature
2) Shorter than modern humans (very stocky)
3) Limbs have shorter distal segments
4) Large, wide rib cage
5) Large joints (strong forces acting on them)

Question 10

Describe the differences between the femur of neanderthals and humans.

Answer 10

Much narrower in humans

Head of the femur is more horizontal than humans

Big flange on the side of Neanderthal’s femur which is related to muscle attachment

Question 11

Neanderthals had right handedness. How do we know this?

Answer 11

You can compare the right and left arms and if you are right handed then your right arm becomes thicker (especially if you are doing something involving a lot of strength because they were hunting and using spears etc).

Question 12

When do people think right handedness arose?

Answer 12

When the right and left side of the brain started to have different functions. So right handedness in neanderthals suggests specialisation in the brain.

Question 13

Describe the differences in the pelvis of neanderthals compared to humans.

Answer 13

The Kebara 2 (male mid-body) fossil shows they had a longer pubic ramus and a sacrum orientated more centrally.

Question 14

How do the hands of neanderthals and humans differ?

Answer 14

Bigger carpal tunnel in neanderthals (allows for more freedom of movement and strength) and longer distal thumb phalanx and more expanded distal tufts (suggests more powerful grip).

Neanderthals have a bigger, more robust hand than humans.

Question 15

How might difference in climate explain the distinct Neanderthal morphology?

Answer 15

1) Adaptation to cold climate (glacial period)
2) Adaptation to higher activity (increased air intake, larger muscles)
3) Use of teeth as tools explains why they were bigger

Question 16

Which are the first hominins we have no doubt used fire?

Answer 16

Neanderthals

Question 17

There isn’t any direct evidence that neanderthals had clothes, but what evidence is there to suggest they might have?

Answer 17

They had tools that worked well as scrapers similar to tools that humans used on leather and it is likely they would have needed clothes to survive cold temperatures.

Question 18

Aiella and Wheeler., 2003

Answer 18

The neanderthal body would have compensated for 1 degree celcius only but if accompanied by higher basal metabolic rate then it would compensate for 3 degrees C.

Question 19

Larger hips is a _______. So, it is ________ that evolved narrow hips, not ________ that evolved larger hips.

Answer 19

Large hips is a plesiomorphy. It’s modern humans that evolved narrow hips, not Neanderthals that evolved larger hips.

Question 20

Why did neanderthals have an enlarged pelvis?

Answer 20

Having a wider body was useful in the climate they were in.

Question 21

What are some theories surrounding the large nasal aperture and projecting nasal bones of neanderthals in terms of climatic adaptation?

Answer 21

1) Projecting nose might have warmed the air before it arrived close to the brain and avoided temperature shock but modern humans in cold environments have narrow nose.

So it might be the large nose is a reflection of the broad face and has no adaptive value.

Question 22

What are some theories surrounding the expanded sinuses of neanderthals?

Answer 22

The extent of the frontal sinus in Neanderthal has been suggested to be particularly large in respect ot modern humans, and helpful to regulate the temperature of the air and the humidity. However, a recent paper showed that once corrected for general size, Neanderthal sinuses are not significantly larger than modern humans, that in any case don’t show a trend towards larger sinuses in cold climates
In short, there doesn’t seem to be any real evidence of climatic adaptation in the Neanderthal cranium

Question 23

Explain a reason that dismisses the theory that neanderthals used their teeth as tools.

Answer 23

Humans are better adapted to distributing strong forces in front teeth than neanderthals

Question 24

Explain a theory relating a large nasal aperture of neanderthals to high energy expenditure.

Answer 24

Neanderthal could move almost twice the volume of air through their nasal passages under laminar conditions than modern humans. Most likely adaptation is high energy expenditure with need of high airflow. Possibly compatible with cold adaptation (as higher energy needed in cold environments) but no direct improvement in air conditioning.

Question 25

The ______ and ______ of the brain at birth is very similar between neonates and adults in Neanderthals.

Answer 25

The size and shape of the brain at birth is very similar between neonates and adults in Neanderthals.

Question 26

The different parts of the brain grow in ________ _________ in humans and neanderthals, suggesting that they had different ____________ ____________.

Answer 26

The different parts of the brain grown in different directions in the two species, suggesting that they had different cognitive abilities.

Question 27

What is the adaptive value of language?

Answer 27

1) Group coordination
2) Expression ideas that are not in front of the speaker (important in strategy)
3) Transmission and accumulation of knowledge between generations
4) Self-awareness; important for complex sociality.

Question 28

What is Broca’s area?

Answer 28

A part of the brain in the frontal lobe associated with the ability to speak

Question 29

What is Wernicke’s area?

Answer 29

A part of the brain in the parietal and temporal lobes associated with the ability to comprehend language.

Question 30

How are the Broca’s and Wernicke’s area connected?

Answer 30

They are connected by a series of neurones called arcuate fasciculus.

Question 31

______ and ______ are interconnected in the brain. So, when you see changes in the brain it is difficult to know if it is associated with ability to ________ or to _______________..

Answer 31

Motor control and speech are interconnected in the brain. So, when you see changes in the brain it is difficult to know if it is associated with ability to speak or to make complex stone tools.

Question 32

Buzzing noises are produced by the ______ and musical tones are produced by the _______ within it.

Answer 32

Buzzing noises produced by the larynx, and musical tones produced by vocal folds within it

Question 33

In chimps, the ________ sits much higher near the tongue and the __________ is much higher too.

Chimps are much less likely to choke to death than us but they can’t make as many sounds as us.

Answer 33

In chimps, the hyoid sits much higher near the tongue and the epiglottis is much higher too.

Chimps are much less likely to choke to death than us but they can’t make as many sounds as us.

Question 34

Who thought neanderthals couldn’t speak and why?

Answer 34

Lieberman and Crelin (1971)

Because they said neanderthals had a high hyoid bone

Question 35

Why do people now think neanderthals could speak?

Answer 35

New studies of Neanderthal and human mandible shape suggest similar position of the hyoid

Sima de los Huesos remains show human-like hearing (range 2-4 kHz)