Human evolution: Neanderthal differences (Introduction)

by David Turell , Monday, April 19, 2021, 19:58 (1312 days ago) @ David Turell

They were built for the northern latitudes:

https://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2021/04/19/neanderthals_were_the_human_species_be...

"'It is well-accepted that Neanderthals appear to be the most cold-adapted of known fossil hominin groups," a team of anthropologists recently wrote in the journal Evolutionary Anthropology.

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"Consider that while we Homo sapiens spent much of our time on Earth in Africa around the equator, Neanderthals dwelled further north, predominantly in dry, and even polar, climates, as far as northern France, through mountainous Uzbekistan, and even to southern Siberia. In these often harsh environments, they had hundreds of thousands of years to adapt morphologically, physiologically, and behaviorally.

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"For example, Neanderthals had broad trunks and shortened limbs compared to other hominins, which granted a relatively high body volume with a lower surface area.

"'This would have maximized potential metabolic heat production while minimizing heat loss to the environment," the authors wrote.

"Neanderthals also had tall, broad, and generally large noses.

"'This particular nasal shape is considered adaptive, as a tall, narrow nasal passageway increases mucosal surface area, providing greater ability to warm and moisten cold-dry air typical of cold climates," Ocobock and her colleagues explained.

"Lastly, in terms of morphology, Neanderthals had sizable skeletons, hinting at prodigious muscle mass. Muscle produces more heat than fatty tissues, but is also more energetically expensive.

"That's where diet factored in. Given Neanderthals' muscled frames, they likely had much higher metabolisms than other hominins. This demanded calories. A great source of calories is large-bodied game. Deer, ibex, wild boar, aurochs, and occasionally mammoth and woolly rhinoceros, were some of their frequent fare. All of this protein consumption likely boosted their metabolisms even more, thus making their bodies produce more heat.

"Hunting, of course, was a physically demanding activity, involving sprinting, throwing, and carrying heavy loads. All of this exercise, coupled with cooler temperatures, would likely have prompted Neanderthals to develop significant stores of brown fat, which, compared to normal white fat, contains a lot more mitochondria. These cellular 'power plants' are adept at producing heat for warmth.

"While Neanderthals' morphological and physiological adaptations can be reasoned based upon fossil and archaeological evidence, their behavioral adaptations are more of a mystery. We know that Neanderthals made clothing, but scarce evidence of it has survived over the millennia. We also know that they often used caves for shelters and built fires for warmth and cooking. Harder to discern are the cultural and social systems they adopted to thrive in colder climates.

"'Most of these behaviors will be archaeologically invisible to us, though assuredly Neanderthals had systems of food sharing and other cultural buffering mechanisms to cope with the cold," the authors wrote."

Comment: They were around for a long period, but there must be a major difference they had that resulted in only our tribe surviving. I'll stick with our more complex brain which allowed for more inventive concepts..