Neanderthals.............the eyes have it !!!

[Corso]

I read this earlier today on the beeb site - fascinating! Although I'm certain this will not be universally accepted, as other scientific studies show that when the brain (of homo sapiens anyway) is subjected to new stimuli, the specific regions of the brain actually grow rather than pushing into other areas of the brain.

One classical example of this that I remember relates to the gaining of "The Knowledge" by London Black Cab drivers - a certificate required before they can operate as a Black Cab in London. IN this, they have to pass a test which requires them to memorise the entire street map - road names, junctions, important buildings, one-way flows etc - for the whole of London.

Brain scans - before and after "The Knowledge" is gained - show an increase in brain size in the relevant area, not a replacement of other areas of the brain.

so what space did the new brain tissue grow into?

 

[Toddy]

Wolves = canis lupus lupus
Coyote = canis latrans
Red Wolf = canis lupus rufus
.........and these three can all interbreed with the domesticated dog
Canis lupus familiarus
.........though there is definite evidence that doing so degrades the fertility of the subsequent generations.
Vulpes vulpes = fox, and it can't interbreed with any of the three above species, even though all of these species are members of the Family Canidae.

Homo sapiens sapiens = us
Homo sapiens neanderthalensis = neanderthals, extinct around 30,000 years ago, but supposedly interbred between 50 and 80,000 years ago with an Archaic Homo Sapiens.....we are anatomically modern Homo Sapiens.
Homo erectus ....the last definite fossils we have are around 300,000 years old......so interbreeding with HSS is decidely unlikely....the dispute comes though when there are claims that they were the forebears of HSN and HSS.

Homo floresciensis is a conundrum; still living 12,000 years ago, but had they evolved from Homo erectus, or from a HS out of Africa from a H.E. ?

......and none of these can breed with
Gorillas = gorilla gorilla
Bonobos = pan paniscus
Chimpanzees = pan troglodytes
Orang Utans = pong borneo
even though all of these species, including ours, are members of the Hominidae family.

The confusions arise because there are disputes about just when the same DNA in us and Neanderthals developed. Was it recent (ish) interbreeding or does it come from an earlier common ancestor ?

M

p.s. Cross posted, sorry. However, Neanderthals had bigger braincases than we have, so presumably they had bigger brains too.

 

[Goatboy]

so what space did the new brain tissue grow into?

From memory (sic) I think it was a growth in numbers of neural conections. No just had a wee look actual growth of the hippocampi is whats stated.

 

[blacktimberwolf]

http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence...nd-neanderthals/neanderthal-mitochondrial-dna

Pages 4 & 5 might be of interest.

 

[Toddy]

Interesting link Thank you
.......funny how there seems to be no consideration that the stay at home African population might have also evolved, yet is somehow assumed to be 'static' though. Especially since that's where the changes and species differentation began in the first place.

Mary

 

[Goatboy]

Mary, if you mine into the Smithsonian site linked above it does talk of the lack of fossil evidence in Africa of certain specimins (likes of Homo erectus which I'm on at the moment).

Some apear to have been localised like Homo florensiensis due to local presures.

I think the best way to look at it is that they're trying to put together a giant 4 dimensional (time being 4th) jigsaw puzzle with no picture and no corners or edge pieces and trying to postulate the form from the few pieces that haven't been scattered to the wind.

Cheers
Colin.

 

[Goatboy]

http://metro.co.uk/2013/04/07/labou...ove-ginger-haired-gus-is-his-sibling-3586196/