Okay, so I felt like writing about something a little different as you can tell by the title. That’s right, not only is today’s animal similar to humans but the Neanderthal is also extinct. Actually, this last statement may not be entirely true but I will get into that later. In case you are not incredibly up to date on your anthropology (and I don’t pretend to be since I am a Wildlife Biologist by trade), the Neanderthal has been classed as a separate human species (Homo neanderthalensis) but some have also classified them simply has a sub-species of Humans. Which is right…. I don’t know. Let’s not bother with the taxonomy of this bizarre animal and instead focus our energy on learning more about them.
The Neanderthal co-existed with humans back in they day but they mysteriously went extinct about 30, 000 years ago. Sure there are theories that current humans wiped them out but I find this hard to believe since we would never dream of harming another animal species (yes, that was sarcasm). Okay, so we keep mentioning that this other human form went “extinct” but a study from 2010 showed that most modern humans (just like you and I) have some good ol’ Neanderthal in them. To be specific, about 1 to 4 percent of our genetic makeup is from the Neanderthal. And I imagine we all know someone that looks/acts like they have a bit more than 4 percent of Neanderthal in them :).
Wait!….. What? Does this mean we are technically part Neanderthal?
Technically, I am not sure but this does mean that the two species interbred back in the day. So to say that the Neanderthal is extinct isn’t exactly true since some of their genes made it into the next generation.
So what does it mean to be a Neanderthal? Were they just like us?
Well, they were similar to modern day humans but here are a few differences. They were about 12-14 cm (5-6″) shorter than today’s Homo sapiens. As well, they were more robust and much stronger than modern day humans. Some of the other differences included larger noses, their chins protruded less than humans and had large, round finger tips. Obviously, there were some other differences but we will be here all day if I described them all.
Before we go, I did want to touch on the behaviour of the Neanderthal. Apparently they were mostly carnivores, although some evidence shows they would cook vegetables from time to time. They did have advanced tools, a language and lived in complex social groups. Does any of this sound familiar? It should as it doesn’t sound much different than us. It is interesting to think that the Neanderthal could have easily emerged as the modern day human. Just think how different things would be if it was Homo sapiens that went extinct 30 000 years ago. Mind boggling, isn’t it?
Okay, I guess this post is getting a little long. I could definitely keep going since I find this topic extremely fascinating but I will let you go and enjoy the rest of your day. Thanks for reading and I will see you again tomorrow.
