Posted on 09/20/2019 11:41:54 AM PDT by RummyChick
Ear infections likely killed off the Neanderthals, according to scientists who claim to have cracked the mystery surrounding the species' extinction.
While antibiotics are taken for granted in the modern world, a lack of sophisticated medicine 40,000 years ago is believed to have seen the archaic species suffer from the common childhood illness and then perish.
Moreover, Neanderthals were more prone to contracting an ear infection as they had smaller ears, providing a tighter space for bacteria to become clogged up.
This is believed to have led to breathing and hearing problems and pneumonia.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
The world’s comin’ to an end, I don’t even care
As long as I can have a limo and my orange hair
Tooth decay and gum disease are common since the advent of agriculture, 10,000 years ago.
Nope. It was white supremacy and the legacy of slavery that killed them off.
Maybe earwigs? They enter the ear and eat through the brain. Sometimes they leave eggs.
"KHAAAAAAAAAN!"
I agree with you as they have no real way to prove such a theory. They just dream it up and pass it on as settled science.
I caught on to their far out conclusions when watching a T-Rex show where they said the monster had an outstanding ability to smell. This was based on a rather large olfactory cavity. For an animal that primitive it is likely such a large cavity could be proportionately primitive, meaning size has nothing to do with how well it can smell anything.
There are too many people being paid for rummaging around in the past. It’s interesting, but of what use is it knowing neanderthals got ear infections. Next week we will hear their ears were big. This week their noses are huge, but the following week their noses were tiny. It must dishearten a hard working brick layer or road worker. Working hard. And reading that some nerds in white coats are pulling in big money looking at fossilized bird shit or in this case, neanderthal ears. It’s not right
“Earache my eye!”
“Neanderthals have not died out, they are alive and mentally sick in the rat party.”
Congressman Al Green, fer sher.
There seem to be plenty of other things out there with smaller ear holes. How are they surviving? Or, are we just witness to their ultimate demise?
Wouldn’t this show up in the fossil record?
An ear infection bad enough to kill would show some erosion of the skulls ear canal, no?
Hi.
“Ear infections likely killed off the Neanderthals, “
Meadow muffins.
Exhibit A, Al Green (D-TX)
5.56mm
An ear infection bad enough to kill would show some erosion of the skulls ear canal, no?
It should. Chronic otitis media (inner ear infection) leads to mastoiditis - an infection of the mastoid bone of the skull right behind the ear. That would scar that area of the skull. That was a big problem in the Native peoples of old Alaska pre-antibiotics. This can lead to deafness and then the saber tooth tiger can sneak up on you more easily and we all know what happens next!
It`s only hearsay.
*ping*
Obviously they were never warned about the dangers of using Q-tips to clean the ears.......
My momma talkin’ to me tryin’ to tell me how to live...
Another factor: we know that modern humans have different ear wax based largely along racial makeup. Do we have any ideas about Neanderthal ear wax? Because that would tend to mitigate the susceptibility to ear infection. Certainly there’s no evidence in the fossil record.
I would think so. Physicians can look at people like me and determine due to canal deformities that we have had a history of severe ear infections. Im guessing it should be as easy as hiring a local ENT to take a quick look at the pile of patients on the table, its not like there is any tissue blocking the view.
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.