Neanderthal Man | Anthropology Optional for UPSC PDF Download

Neanderthal Skull Discovered

• In 1829, a Neanderthal child's skull fragment was discovered in a cave near Engis, Belgium, marking the first Neanderthal fossil find. However, it wasn't identified as a Neanderthal fossil until much later. In 1856, quarry workers found the first recognized Neanderthal bones while cutting limestone in Feldhofer Cave, located in the Neandertal valley near Düsseldorf, Germany.
• Anatomists were initially puzzled by the bones, as the skull had human-like features but also distinct differences, such as a prominent brow ridge and large, wide nostrils. The Neanderthal body was also shorter and stockier than a modern human's. In 1857, German anatomist Hermann Shaafhausen suggested that the Neanderthal fossil belonged to a primitive and barbaric human race. By 1864, Irish geologist William King concluded that the Neanderthal fossil was not human and classified it as a separate species, named Homo neanderthalensis.

Neanderthal vs. Homo Sapiens

• Fossils indicate that Neanderthals, like early humans, made a variety of advanced tools from stone and bones. These tools included small blades, hand axes, and scrapers for removing flesh and fat from animal skin.
• Neanderthals were proficient hunters who used spears to kill large Ice Age mammals, such as mammoths and woolly rhinos.
• Not much is known about the culture and customs of Neanderthals. However, there is some evidence suggesting that they might have created symbolic or ornamental objects, made artwork, utilized fire, and intentionally buried their dead.

• Genetic analysis reveals that Neanderthals lived in small, isolated groups with limited contact between them.
• Although Neanderthals had larger brains than humans, it does not necessarily mean they were more intelligent. A recent study found that a significant portion of the Neanderthal brain was dedicated to vision and motor control.
• This would have been beneficial for hunting and coordinating the movement of their robust bodies. However, it left comparatively less brain space for areas controlling thinking and social interactions when compared to modern humans.

Neanderthal DNA

• Most researchers concur that modern humans and Neanderthals interbred, although they believe that such interactions occurred infrequently. These instances introduced a small quantity of Neanderthal DNA into the human gene pool. As a result, the majority of individuals living outside of Africa today have trace amounts of Neanderthal DNA in their genetic makeup.
• It is estimated that people of European and Asian ancestry have around 2 percent Neanderthal DNA, while indigenous Africans may have little or none. This is because the two species did not come into contact and interbreed until after modern humans had migrated out of Africa.
• Some of the Neanderthal genes that continue to exist in humans today might influence traits related to sun exposure, such as hair color, skin tone, and sleep patterns. Neanderthals had already been living in Europe and Asia for hundreds of thousands of years when modern humans arrived, and they had adapted to the Eurasian climate. As such, some experts believe that Neanderthal DNA may have provided a certain advantage to modern humans as they moved out of Africa and settled in northern regions.

Neanderthal Extinction

• Neanderthals went extinct around 40,000 years ago in Europe, approximately 5,000 to 10,000 years after they first encountered Homo sapiens. Several theories attempt to explain their extinction.
• One factor could be the change in climate around 40,000 years ago, which made Europe and Asia colder and turned them into vast, treeless steppes. Fossil evidence indicates that the animals Neanderthals hunted, such as wooly mammoths, may have migrated south, leaving Neanderthals without their primary food source.
• Humans, however, had a more varied diet and established long-distance trade networks, which could have provided them with an advantage in adapting to the harsh climate.
• Another theory proposes that Neanderthals gradually disappeared due to interbreeding with humans. Over time, through many generations, Neanderthals and their DNA could have been absorbed into the human race.
• Other possibilities include modern humans introducing diseases from Africa that Neanderthals had no immunity against, or even human violence leading to the extermination of Neanderthals. However, there is currently no archaeological evidence to support the idea that humans killed off Neanderthals.

Conclusion

The first Neanderthal fossil was discovered in 1829, but it wasn't recognized as such until later. Neanderthals were proficient hunters who used advanced tools and had some cultural aspects, such as the possible creation of artwork and intentional burial of their dead. They lived in isolated groups, and while their brains were larger than humans', a significant portion was dedicated to vision and motor control. Modern humans and Neanderthals likely interbred, introducing Neanderthal DNA into the human gene pool. Neanderthal extinction around 40,000 years ago could be attributed to various factors, such as climate change, interbreeding with humans, introduction of diseases, or even human violence, though evidence for the latter is lacking.