Thanks to modern technology (and based on the remains of Calavera), we can now reconstruct a probable approximation of the faces of our ancient Neanderthal ancestors. When we look at those faces, we see beings that seem to us in many ways, but with more robust characteristics, larger and medium noses projected forward, especially compared to our narrower and more delicate characteristics.
The exact mechanisms behind the differences in facial characteristics between Neanderthals and modern humans are not yet completely understood. This knowledge gap has inspired researchers from the Max Planck Institute for evolutionary anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, to explore how facial forms evolved from a molecular and cellular perspective.
His studyPosted in Journal of Human EvolutionHe compared fossils of Neanderthals, sacks of Chimpanzee and modern human skulls. They discovered that, in addition to the Neanderthals and humans who already show clear differences of birth, humans stop growing long before their cousins.
The adaptive hypothesis
One way to explain the differences between humans and their Neanderthal relatives is to observe how species adapted over time to adapt to their environments. Several studies suggest that Neanderthal faces evolved to adapt to the coldest climates in northern Europe. For example, their largest nasal passages could have helped them to heat and humidify cold and dry air, supporting their greater energy needs.
Another theory postulates that Neanderthals frequently use their frontal teeth as tools, which could have shaped their face to better accommodate the greatest demand of their jaws.
However, applying such theories to modern humans (Homo sapiens) Explain our unique skull and the shape of the face is more complex. While the development of kitchen methods, which relieved tension in our chewing apparatus, could explain a gradual reduction of facial characteristics, some researchers add that genetic variation in human faces is driven by the need for individual identity and recognition, which plays a key role in social interactions.
Read more: Anthropologists discover Neanderthal butcher and kitchen techniques
Neanderthals continued to grow beyond puberty
To deepen the origins of these facial differences, the Max Planck Institute team studied how faces in humans, chimpanzees and Neanderthals change birth to adulthood. They analyzed bone cell activity using macroscopic and microscopic techniques. Chimpanzees, being a more distantly related species, helped determine the evolutionary relationship between Neanderthals and H. sapiensparticularly in how their means developed.
“Our findings reveal that a change in development, particularly during late growth stages, led to smaller faces,” said principal author Alexandra Schuh of the Max Planck Institute in a Press release. “Compared to the Neanderthals and chimpanzees that continue to increase more, human facial growth stops before, around adolescence, resulting in a smaller adult face.”
Evolution in Homo Sapiens Modern
Interestingly, the study found little variation in facial growth between the current human samples of different geographical regions (Inuits Greenlandés, Western and South African Europeans), despite the fact that their diets and ancestors were very different. This suggests that environmental factors may not be as influential in human growth as previously thought, and instead, a specific genetic pattern could boost the development of individual characteristics.
“Identifying the key changes in development helps us understand how the specific features of the species arose throughout human evolution,” Schuh explained in the press release.
Homo sapiens is mainly defined by its larger brain size. Our skulls had to adapt to accommodate this brain differently, which led to the verticalization of the face. This, in turn, allowed an articulated speech and the decline in the language in the pharynx during the first two years of life, which makes possible the production of complex sounds. This development played a fundamental role in our survival and communication skills, which helped us prosper to this day.
Read more: If the Neanderthals could speak, they could have had acute voices
Article Sources
Our writers in Discovermagazine.com Use studies reviewed by pairs and high quality sources for our articles, and our editors review to obtain scientific precision and editorial standards. Check the sources used below for this article:
After having worked as a biomedical research assistant in laboratories in three countries, Jenny stands out for translating complex scientific concepts, ranging from medical advances and pharmacological discoveries to the latest nutrition, to attractive and accessible content. Their interests extend to issues such as human evolution, psychology and stories of extravagant animals. When it is not immersed in a popular scientific book, you will find it capturing waves or navigating the island of Vancouver in its longboard.
#Neandertals #continued #grow #adulthood #faces
