Neanderthals are almost TWICE as old as first thought: DNA suggests emerged 700,000 years ago

The London Daily Mail ^ | September 14, 2015 | Richard Gray

[2ndDivisionVet]

They are one of our closest human relatives and dominated Europe and much of Asia for hundreds of thousands of years, but Neanderthals may be far older than previously thought.

A new study by geneticists has revealed a collection of fossilised bones discovered in a cave in northern Spain belonged to an early member of the Neanderthal family.

It is the oldest partial genome from early human fossils ever to be sequenced and pushes back the date for the origins of the Neanderthal branch of our evolutionary tree by up to 300,000 years....

[AndyTheBear]

Still think carbon dating is highly inaccurate. Way too many zeroes on the ages, they need to take off two or so.

Article says they are using DNA sequencing not radio carbon dating. Not saying I know how accurate the DNA sequencing is, but certainly carbon dating over 100,000 years would not be.

[inpajamas]

Who listens to these people anymore. Half guessing and half making things up.

[PUGACHEV]

"... it has been speculated that they would have had less good at decision making and moderating social behaviour. On the other hand, Neanderthals possessed a bigger occipital lobe, meaning that their visual abilities (including the distinction of details and colours) were certainly better than that of modern humans.

This would have hindered Neanderthals when it came to forming extended social groups, necessary for large raiding parties or a proto-army. If so, it is no wonder we displaced them. Being able to form larger and more disciplined groups, we could have easily hunted them to extinction, regardless of their individual physical superiority.

One of the most striking aspects of a Neanderthal skull is the size and shape of their eye sockets. They are enormous, certainly twice the size of ours, and more round. It's logical to assume that their eyes were likewise huge and round, perhaps creating a bug-eyed appearance. These enormous eyes must have been an adaptation, but for what? Hunting at night, perhaps? If so, why with their huge physical size, would being nocturnal have conferred an advantage?

[Inyo-Mono]

One of the most striking aspects of a Neanderthal skull is the size and shape of their eye sockets. They are enormous, certainly twice the size of ours, and more round. It's logical to assume that their eyes were likewise huge and round, perhaps creating a bug-eyed appearance. These enormous eyes must have been an adaptation, but for what? Hunting at night, perhaps? If so, why with their huge physical size, would being nocturnal have conferred an advantage?

Perhaps they were nocturnal, like a leopard, hunting at night under cover of darkness. we just don't know.

[Larry Lucido]

When I was on school neandethal man was in the chain of human evolution!

When I was in school we played the neanderthals in intramural sports.

[BigEdLB]

Why is it that Bush thread is next to this one.

[TigersEye]

Ugh. Which, as you know, means “I hear ya bro” in the ‘thal language.

[To Hell With Poverty]

Maybe for poking around deep dark caves?

[ColdSteelTalon]

So all of the things that science books have been teaching us all of this time are now worthless. One thing that science has taught us is how little we really know.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks 2ndDivisionVet.

KEYWORDS: neandertal; neandertals; neanderthal; neanderthals

The Neandertal Enigma
by James Shreeve
in local libraries

"Frayer's own reading of the record reveals a number of overlooked traits that clearly and specifically link the Neandertals to the Cro-Magnons. One such trait is the shape of the opening of the nerve canal in the lower jaw, a spot where dentists often give a pain-blocking injection. In many Neandertal, the upper portion of the opening is covered by a broad bony ridge, a curious feature also carried by a significant number of Cro-Magnons. But none of the alleged 'ancestors of us all' fossils from Africa have it, and it is extremely rare in modern people outside Europe." [pp 126-127]

[blam]

The Neanderthal Theory

[blam]

"Ugh. Which, as you know, means “I hear ya bro” in the ‘thal language."

Thal means 'valley' in German. Neander thal means, The Neander Valley, an actual place in Germany where the first skeleton was identified.

The Original Neanderthal Skeleton From The Neander Valley

[TigersEye]

Yes, it does and it was. Fascinating isn’t it?

[eartrumpet]

All the research refers to the neandertal eye sockets being twice the size of ours. Most all the artist renderings and face mockups have little pig eyes like the one you posted. The youngster with red hair has big eyes but no bigger than you see every day on some people. That one poster who used to put up pictures of the nocturnal murderous ape man with slit pupils, now his neandertals had some big eyes. I wonder if that artist ever made his horror movie?

[chesley]

And she still is, check out Hillary. Check out most feminist leaders.

[tet68]

As we all have experienced, there is nothing worse
than an old neanderthal.

You kids, get OFF my lawn!

[redhead]

Rats! Now my secret is out!

[Norm Lenhart]

We always knew. We just feared for our souls ;)

[Impy]

LMAO!!

[SunkenCiv]

soon to be a new topic:

Italy’s first Neanderthal dates back 250,000 years
http://www.thelocal.it/20151104/italy-dates-its-first-neanderthal-to-250k-years-ago