Posted on 12/04/2007 1:52:30 PM PST by blam
Neanderthal Children Grew Up Fast
ScienceDaily (Dec. 4, 2007) — An international European research collaboration led by scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology reports evidence for a rapid developmental pattern in a 100,000 year old Belgian Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalensis).
Growth lines inside a Neanderthal tooth (left - diagonally running lines) and on the outside (right- horizontal curved lines). Counts and measurements of these lines helped to determine that the child was approximately 8 years old when it died. (Credit: Tanya Smith, MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology)
A new report details how the team used growth lines both inside and on the surfaces of the child’s teeth to reconstruct tooth formation time and its’ age at death.
Scientists found differences in the duration of tooth growth in the Neanderthal when compared to modern humans, with the former showing shorter times in most cases. This faster growth resulted in a more advanced pattern of dental development than in fossil and living members of our own species (Homo sapiens).
The Scladina juvenile, which appears to be developmentally similar to a 10-12 year old human, was estimated to be in fact about 8 years old at death. This pattern of development appears to be intermediate between early members of our genus (e.g., Homo erectus) and living people, suggesting that the characteristically slow development and long childhood is a recent condition unique to our own species.
Neanderthal life history, or the timing of developmental and reproductive events, has been under great debate during the past few decades. Across primates, tooth development, specifically the age of molar eruption, is related to other developmental landmarks such as weaning and first reproduction.
Scientists have previously found evidence to both support and refute the idea that Neanderthals grew up differently than our own species. In this new study, researchers used information from the inside of a molar tooth, coupled with data from micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), as well as evidence of developmental stress on the outsides of tooth crowns and roots.
This yields the first chronology, or time sequence, for Neanderthal tooth growth, which differs from living humans. The Scladina Neanderthal grew teeth over a shorter period of time, and has more teeth erupted (present in the mouth), than similarly-aged fossil or living humans (Homo sapiens).
This suggests that other aspects of physical development were likely more rapidly achieved as well, implying significant differences in the behaviour or social organization of these ancient humans.
Journal reference: Tanya M. Smith, Michel Toussaint, Donald J. Reid, Anthony J. Olejniczak, Jean-Jacques Hublin, Rapid Dental Development in a Middle Paleolithic Belgian Neanderthal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA December 2007
Adapted from materials provided by Max-Planck-Gesellschaft.
I’ve amused myself with that one, that so-called interbreeding would more likely produce lower infant mortality if the mom was Neandertal...
Even at "last call"?
Yes, I think they are. Thing is, if there wasn't enough of a difference to matter, there wouldn't have been viable, identifiable "communities" of either for many, many centuries.
Last call crossed my mind as I wrote that. LOL In the season when all of the berries have fermented, the woman don't seem to be able to run as fast. :o)
“Can’t believe that humans & Neandertals were particularly attractive to each other.”
“Even at “last call”?”
I don’t even want to think about it. When I think of Cave People I think about Barbara Bach in a fur bikini. Lets keep it that way...........
“Can’t believe that humans & Neandertals were particularly attractive to each other.”
I can’t comment on neanderthal males but our particular species of male has found females, males, children, animals and a wide selection of inanimate objects erotic throughout our history.
You'll notice I said nothing about the speed males can run, assuming they'll breed with whichever kind of women ran slower. It was a playoff against an old joke about the best way to avoid becoming dinner for some fast running wild animal.
Holy crap! I used to work with that guy!
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