The debate that has raged about whether Neanderthals were a sub-species of modern humans may finally be over.
Researchers have identified new evidence supporting the growing belief that Neanderthals were a distinct species separate from modern humans (Homo sapiens) and deserve a more distinct identity of their own.
Experts studied the nasal complex of Neanderthals to also conclude that their extinction was probably due to competition with modern humans, and not their inability to adapt to a cooling climate.
Experts studied the nasal complex of Neanderthals (a skull dating from 50,000 BC is pictured) and say that its features evolved separately to modern humans, suggesting that Neanderthals were a distinct species separate from Homo sapiens and deserve a more distinct identity of their own
The research, led by Suny Downstate Medical Centre, in New York City, indicates that the Neanderthal nasal complex was not inferior, but simply different, to that of modern humans.
Samuel Márquez, Associate Professor at the Centre’s Department of Cell Biology and his team said that previous studies into the Neanderthal nose have compared Neanderthal nasal dimensions to modern human populations such as the Inuit and modern Europeans, whose nasal complexes are adapted to cold and temperate climates.
However, the current study, published in The Anatomical Record, adds to a growing body of evidence that the upper respiratory tracts of this extinct group functioned via a different set of rules.
Dr Márquez explained: ‘The strategy was to have a comprehensive examination of the nasal region of diverse modern human population groups and then compare the data with the fossil evidence.
The study revealed that the extinction of Neanderthals was probably due to competition with modern humans, not their inability to adapt to a cooling climate. A hunting scene is illustrated
Credit to Dailymail.co.uk
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2840657/Neanderthals-NOT-sub-species-modern-man-scientists-claim-Structure-nose-hints-separate-species.html#ixzz3JWmRR6yF
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