Starch grains found on Neandertal teeth debunks theory that dietary deficiencies caused their ext...

Researchers from George Washington University and the Smithsonian Institution have discovered evidence to debunk the theory that Neandertals' disappearance was caused in part by a deficient diet -- one that lacked variety and was overly reliant on meat. After discovering starch granules from plant food trapped in the dental calculus on 40-thousand-year-old Neandertal teeth, the scientists believe that Neandertals ate a wide variety of plants and included cooked grains as part of a more sophisticated, diverse diet similar to early modern humans...

The discovery of starch granules in the calculus on Neandertal teeth provides direct evidence that they made sophisticated, thoughtful food choices and ate more nutrient-rich plants, for example date palms, legumes and grains such as barley. Until now, anthropologists have hypothesized that Neandertals were outlived by early modern humans due in part to the former's primitive, deficient diet, with some scientists arguing Neandertals' diets were specialized for meat-eating. As such, during major climate swings Neandertals could be outcompeted by early humans who incorporated diverse plant foods available in the local environment into their diets.

Henry, Brooks and Piperno's discovery suggests otherwise. The researchers discovered starch granules in dental calculus, which forms when plaque buildup hardens, on the fossilized teeth of Neandertal skeletons excavated from Shanidar Cave in Iraq and Spy Cave in Belgium. Starch granules are abundant in most human plant foods, but were not known to survive on fossil teeth this old until this study. The researchers' findings indicate that Neandertals' diets were more similar to those of early humans than originally thought. The researchers also determined from alterations they observed in the starch granules that Neandertals prepared and cooked starch-rich foods to make them taste better and easier to digest.

Full title: "Starch grains found on Neandertal teeth debunks theory that dietary deficiencies caused their extinction"

The four keywords, sorted oldest to newest, duplicates out, but there could be some bogus topics, such as .

KEYWORDS: neandertal; neandertals; neanderthal; neanderthals

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]

The Neanderthal government provided free contraceptives. They died out for lack of offspring.

What a ridiculous postulate!

They were a deeply religious people, as evidenced by the many ritualistic elements they left behind.

They all converted to Shakerism, abstained from sexual relations, and died out for lack of offspring.

The only reasonable explanation for a people that survived approximately 200,000 years or more to have gone extinct after cromagnon showed up is that the Cromags killed them off, some interbreeding some slaughter, it is the Homo Sapien way.

Neanderthals were killed off in a neolithic world war which probably lasted several generations, but not thousands or tens of thousands of years. Neanderthals were Europe's apex predator; the main body of them in Europe ate a diet which was over 90% meat including themselves and any other hominids or humans they could catch. Their DNA was roughly halfway between ours and that of a modern ape, their skulls were those of apes with huge eyes for nocturnal hunting, they had the same 6" fur coat as every other ice age animal which is why no needles have ever been found with Neanderthal remains, and this is what they looked like:

Image courtesy of www.themandus.org

Danny Vendramini on youtyube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZbmywzGAVs

No living human is related to Neanderthals in any way and the reason for that should be fairly obvious...

There is no evidence that Neanderthals had fur or looked as the picture you posted looks. In fact they stood upright, made tools and lived hundreds of thousands of years before dying out. They have been classified as human, with Human DNA, slightly different than ours. If they were furred that would be evident in their remains. It isn’t. There are Humans on this planet now that share some Neanderthal DNA. I am sure there would have been no mating between them if they looked like the ape you have posted.

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Thanks Renfield. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.