Human Evolution

Human evolution is the origin and evolution of Homo sapiens as a species that can be distinguished from other hominids, great apes, and mammals. Neanderthals are a unique species as they can be either classified as a subspecies of Homo sapiens as Homo sapiens neanderthalensis, or can be classified as a distinct and separate species as Homo neanderthalensis. Though Neanderthals are presently considered an extinct species, evidence indicates that H. sapiens and Neanderthals, at one point, mated with each other.

It is believed that Neanderthals inhabited Europe and parts of western and central Asia as far back as 230,000 to 300,000 years ago. Evidence that Neanderthals and H. sapiens coexisted was discovered in France and Israel. Further investigation and analysis of fossils found in these areas indicate that Neanderthals, as well as H. sapiens, were skilled hunters, used fire, cared for their sick and injured, and possibly communicated through a unique language.

DNA analysis has been utilized in an attempt to explain how or why Neanderthals became extinct. The analysis of mitochondrial DNA from a 40,000-year-old specimen was conducted in 1997 by Svante Paabo, a geneticist at the University of Munich, that led to the hypothesis that Neanderthals and H. sapiens had a common ancestor. Furthermore, it was believed that the distinct evolution of Neanderthals and H. sapiens was a differing geographic regions with Neanderthals evolving north of the Mediterranean and H. sapiens evolving and flourishing below the Mediterranean. Though mtDNA analysis indicates that Neanderthals are a distinct species than H. sapiens, it may be possible that any genetic contribution by Neanderthals to H. sapiens may have been erased by genetic drift or by the high and continuous influx of human DNA into the Neanderthals' gene pool. Recent genetic mappings of Neanderthal DNA has found that between 1 and 4% of people residing outside Africa are descendant from Neanderthals, a possible result of H. sapiens and Neanderthal interbreeding.

Anatomically and physiologically, the Neanderthal exhibits traits that differ from that of the modern human. It has been found that the Neanderthals' brain size is equal to or larger than the modern human. Neanderthals skeleto-muscular system indicates that the species was robust and heavily muscled; distinctive facial features are characterized by a protruding mid-facial region. Though Neanderthals' heights are comparable those of modern humans, analysis of the Neanderthal pelvic bones indicates that Neanderthals pelvic bones were significantly longer than those of modern humans.

There are several conflicting hypotheses have been formulated in an attempt to explain the extinction and/or disappearance of Neanderthals. One such hypothesis formulated insinuates that Neanderthals became extinct due to climate changes or interaction with humans. It is also believed that Neanderthals interbred with H. sapiens and disappeared through absorption. Another hypothesis is that the Neanderthal disappeared due to a major natural disaster such as the Campanian ignimbrite volcanic super-eruption.

It is believed that modern humans' extended maturation may be an advantageous factor over Neanderthals. This extended maturation may have facilitated learning and complex cognition. Furthermore, evidence has been produced to indicate that overall development in Neanderthals was significantly faster than that in H. sapiens.

Modern scientific and anthropological discoveries continue to contribute to the study and understanding of Neanderthals as a society and a species or sub-species. Though differing perspectives on how Neanderthals lived and died will continue to arise, these differing opinions provide insight into how Neanderthals may have lived.