Neandertal

Neanderthal

The Neanderthal or Neandertal was a species of Homo Neanderthalensis that originated in Europe and parts of western Asia from about 230,000 to 29,000 years ago, during the Paleolithic period.

Neanderthals were adapted to the cold, as shown by their large braincases, short but bulky builds, and large noses. Their brain sizes have been estimated as larger than humans. On average, Neanderthal males stood about just under 5' 6" and were heavily built, and had bulky builds due to their physical activity. Females were about 5'-5'2".

Name and classification

The term "Neanderthal Man" was taken in 1863 by Irish anatomist William King. Neanderthal is now spelled two ways: It can be either Neanderthal or Neandertal, but in modern English it is spelt Neanderthal and is only used

For many years, professionals debated about whether Neanderthals should be classified as Homo neanderthalensis or as Homo sapiens neanderthalensis, then later placing Neanderthals as a subspecies of Homo sapiens. However, recent evidence from studies have shown that Neanderthals were not a subspecies of Homo sapiens. Still, some scientists debate that fossil evidence suggests that the two species interbred, and were the same biological species.

Discovery

A Neanderthal skull was first discovered in Forbes' Quarry, Gibraltar in 1848, eight years before the original discovery in a limestone quarry of the Neander Valley in August, 1856, three years before Charles Darwin's book was published.

The first Neanderthal, consisted of a skull cap, two femora, three bones from the right arm, two from the left arm, and ribs. The workers who recovered this material originally thought it to be the bones of a bear. They gave the material to amateur naturalist Johann Karl Fuhlrott, who turned the fossils over to anatomist Hermann Schaafhausen. The discovery was announced in 1857.

That discovery is now considered the beginning of Paleoanthropology. These and other discoveries led to the idea that these bones were from ancient Europeans who had played an important role in modern human origins. The remains of over 400 Neanderthals have been found since.

Physical traits

Compared to modern humans, Neanderthals were larger in size and had distinct features, especially in the brain, which gradually accumulated more developed features, particularly in certain relatively isolated regions of the world. Their relatively bulky build is thought to be an adaptation to the cold climate of Europe. Nothing is known about the skin color, the hair, or the shape of soft parts such as eyes, ears, and lips of Neanderthals. Also, many of these traits occasionally appear in modern humans, particularly among certain ethnic groups.

Language

The theory that Neanderthals lacked complex language was well-known until 1983, when a Neanderthal bone was found at the Kebara Cave in Israel. The bone that was found is virtually identical to that of modern humans. The bone is that, that holds the root