Grooooovy, man!!!
Posted on 09/13/2007 4:14:34 AM PDT by Renfield
Two molar teeth of around 63,400 years old show that Neanderthal predecessors of humans may have been dental hygiene fans, the Web site of newspaper El Pais reported on Tuesday.
The teeth have "grooves formed by the passage of a pointed object, which confirms the use of a small stick for cleaning the mouth," Paleontology Professor Juan Luis Asuarga told reporters, presenting an archaeological find in Madrid.
The fossils, unearthed in Pinilla del Valle, are the first human examples found in the Madrid region in 25 years, the regional government's culture department said.......
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Ping.
The first toothpick.
Come on guys, this is just a joke. Don’t hit me.
Neanderthal dentists used scalers made of stone. Wonder what they used for fillings and crowns.
This is an abstract, but you get the idea :)
Nonalimentary Tooth Use in Prehistory....
Then again, maybe the dude just liked to pick his teeth :)
They didnt have a sugar processing industry back then.
The 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
|
|
|||
Gods |
Thanks Renfield! |
||
|
· Mirabilis · Texas AM Anthropology News · Yahoo Anthro & Archaeo · · History or Science & Nature Podcasts · Excerpt, or Link only? · cgk's list of ping lists · |
|||
A small stick? We call that a toothpick.
They probably hated it when they got a small piece of cave-bear stuck between their teeth.
The cave bear probably wasn’t crazy about it either. ;’)
Actually, in the future, rednecks will invent the time machine, and then...
:’)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.