Archeologists investigate Ice Age hominins' adaptability to climate change (neandering)

Arizona State University ^ | November 17, 2011

[decimon]

Complex computational modeling provides clues to Neanderthal extinction

TEMPE, Ariz. – Computational modeling that examines evidence of how hominin groups evolved culturally and biologically in response to climate change during the last Ice Age also bears new insights into the extinction of Neanderthals. Details of the complex modeling experiments conducted at Arizona State University and the University of Colorado Denver will be published in the December issue of the journal Human Ecology, available online Nov. 17.

>

"It's been long believed that Neanderthals were outcompeted by fitter modern humans and they could not adapt," said Riel-Salvatore. "We are changing the main narrative. Neanderthals were just as adaptable and in many ways, simply victims of their own success."

>

"Neanderthals had proven that they could roll with the punches and when they met the more numerous modern humans, they adapted again," Riel-Salvatore said. "But modern humans probably saw the Neanderthals as possible mates. As a result, over time, the Neanderthals died out as a physically recognizable population."

>

[decimon]

Caption: Computer agents (colored dots) simulating prehistoric hunter-gatherer groups are superimposed over a map of Late Pleistocene western Eurasia. Gray shows Pleistocene land area with lowered sea levels, black lines show modern coastlines, white areas show ice sheets. The blue dots represent groups of "modern" humans, red dots represent groups of Neanderthals, and yellow dots represent groups with biological mixtures of modern and Neanderthal genes. This is a snapshot of the simulation after hundreds of cycles in which the hunter-gather groups have higher mobility in response to changing glacial climate. The data and corresponding analyses were cited by archeologists from Arizona State University and the University of Colorado Denver in findings published in the December issue of the journal Human Ecology, available online Nov. 17.

Credit: Michael Barton/Arizona State University

Usage Restrictions: with proper credit

[decimon]

Wander, lust ping.

[Thane_Banquo]

"Who are you calling a neanderthal?!"

[exit82]

Proof that Neanderthals adapt and still exist:

Romney,Rove,McConnell,McCain,Graham........

[5thGenTexan]

Silly researchers - everyone knows there was no climate change until SUVs and coal power plants were invented...

[blueunicorn6]

“Modern humans probably saw neanderthals as possible mates.” - a dozen tequilla shooters, 2am, it’s cold out, yeah, I’ve been there.

[frithguild]

said Barton, who also is co-director of ASU's Center for Social Dynamics and Complexity, which leverages the emerging field of complex systems to foster interdisciplinary research on fundamental questions of social life.

how does one earn money for that? Can it fit on a business card?

[SunkenCiv]

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]

[SunkenCiv]

GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach	join list or digest view topics view or post blog bookmark post a topic subscribe
Thanks decimon. KEYWORDS: neandertal; neandertals; neanderthal; neanderthals To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.

[SunkenCiv]

"We are changing the main narrative. Neanderthals were just as adaptable and in many ways, simply victims of their own success."

The main narrative is unchanged -- "heads we win, tails you lose." The half-mental gymnastics continue.

[steelyourfaith]

Thanx for the ping SunkenCiv !

 

Beam me to Planet Gore !

[patton]

“Operations Research”

[chesley]

Wasn’t it just a few years ago that we were being told that Neadertals were a completely seperate species fromus, and couldn’t possibly breed with us?

Do these people know what they were doing?

[wildbill]

Just goes to show human males will bone anything they can catch.

[SunkenCiv]

And catch anything they think they might bone.

[SunkenCiv]