Neanderthal remains found in El Sidrón Cave. Credit: CSIC Comunicación
Posted on 07/19/2012 9:56:13 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
A team of researchers has provided the first molecular evidence that Neanderthals not only ate a range of cooked plant foods, but also understood their nutritional and medicinal qualities...
The researchers, led by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the University of York, combined pyrolysis gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry with morphological analysis of plant microfossils to identify material trapped in dental calculus (calcified dental plaque) from five Neanderthals from the north Spanish site of El Sidrón.
Their results provide another twist to the story -- the first molecular evidence for medicinal plants being used by a Neanderthal individual.
According to a prepared statement by the researchers, starch granules and carbohydrate markers in the samples, plus evidence for plant compounds such as azulenes and coumarins, as well as possible evidence for nuts, grasses and even green vegetables, argue for a broader use of ingested plants than is often suggested by stable isotope analysis...
Earlier research had shown that the Neanderthals in El Sidrón had the bitter taste perception gene, evidence of which had been found trapped within dental calculus...
A total of ten samples of dental calculus from five Neanderthals were selected for this study. The researchers used thermal desorption and pyrolysis gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry to identify both free/unbound and bound/polymeric organic components in the dental calculus. By using this method in conjunction with the extraction and analysis of plant microfossils, they found chemical evidence consistent with wood-fire smoke, a range of cooked starchy foods, two plants known today for their medicinal qualities, and bitumen or oil shale trapped in the dental calculus.
(Excerpt) Read more at redorbit.com ...
Neanderthal remains found in El Sidrón Cave. Credit: CSIC Comunicación
KEYWORDS: neandertal; neandertals; neanderthal; neanderthalsThe Neandertal EnigmaFrayer'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]
by James Shreeve
in local libraries
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Do none of these scientists read the books of Jean Auel? (Clan of the Cave Bear, etc,) The Neandertals were not dumb brutes. They just got a bit technically and intellectually one-upped by the Cro-Magnons.
“...combined pyrolysis gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry with morphological analysis of plant microfossils to identify material trapped in dental calculus...”
Try saying that three times real fast.
She sells seashells down by rhe seashore...
Short sheet slitter...
How are you keeping?
Good find, thanks.
Is it true that Neanderthals have a longer fossil/anthropology existence record than do Cro-Magnons?
If so, then they knew a lot more than we give them credit for.
I think that typically our ancestors were skilled at many more things than we are. There were no stores to buy things.
Today we each ‘specialize’ to survive. We do our ‘job’ well to get money. Does that mean our ancestors were less intelligent? How many of us know how to make aspirin? How many don’t know what poison ivy looks like ?
Sometimes I think that our ancestors were smarter than us, and that previous unremembered civilizations were much more advanced (or made advanced use of the ‘environment’ at the time).
Modern brains are smaller.
To give this some scale, the little white things in the lower left corner are houses.
Maybe you could feature it in a thread sometime. The history of it is very interesting.
Is that overall, or just the neo-cortex? Not that it matters that much, because I don't believe that brain size and intelligence have an exact correlation.
Well... it's not like we're using them anyway.
AFAIK, over all smaller.
Agreed that brain size and intelligence do not have an exact correlation, but on the average larger brains contribute to smarter critters, all other factors being equal.
In the case of modern man vs cro-magnon, modern man has essentially the same brain design, a smaller brain, and a bigger body to run with it.
OTOH, birds are disproportionately smart for brain size. I suspect a more efficient brain design.
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/lalibela/index
Lalibela [The Mystery of Ethiopia’s Extraordinary Excavated Churches]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2682976/posts
Ethiopia: lifting the mystery on rock churches ‘built by angels’
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2262046/posts
Medieval Houses Of God, Or Ancient Fortresses?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1250453/posts
Major discovery on eve of obelisk’s return (Ethiopia)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1435149/posts
Axum’s ancient treasure
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1619913/posts
On the Trail of the Ark
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/754994/posts
Keepers of the Lost Ark?[Ethiopia][Ark of the Covenant]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1931280/posts
World religious leaders hold their own G8 summit (Ark of the ...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2275545/posts
The Biblical Canon and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2810310/posts
Domesticated animals usually have smaller brains than their wild cousins.
The Lalibela churches are literally mind-boggling.
They cannot be.
But there they are.
Amazing.
My first thought as well. Auel either guessed right or found the research that was already out there and included it. Remember, all these "scientists" are feeding at the government teat, and need to keep raising more questions, useful or not, to keep the money flowing. If the problem was solved or all the questions answered, there would be no need for them any longer.
Thank you for the links.
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