Posted on 12/31/2002 4:38:20 PM PST by Pharmboy
Looking at the two skeletons it's a mystery to me at least why anybody thinks neanderthals would be stronger than any of us are.
I guess they compute it based on: 1) bone thickness comparison for same height human and neandertal and 2) how big the insertion of the muscles into the bone was.
I don’t know about you, but I have earlobes so I can wear flashy but inexpensive earrings in hopes of attracting a suitable mate; one with the capacity of obtaining for me much more expensive earrings and other pieces of jewelry with diamonds, pearls, rubies, etc.
I don’t “need” my pinky toes either, but they look kind of cute in my sandals and they come in handy for games of “this little piggy”.
Seriously, some “parts” may not have a practical function use per se except for appearance; like lip shape and hair color or those parts that are just too cute, attractive or erotic to us, and the opposite sex for evolution to discard, like earlobes or pinky toes. But attraction between the sexes and it’s obvious consequence is very important to our survival.
I don’t know about you, but I have earlobes so I can wear flashy but inexpensive earrings in hopes of attracting a suitable mate; one with the capacity of obtaining for me much more expensive earrings and other pieces of jewelry with diamonds, pearls, rubies, etc.
I don’t “need” my pinky toes either, but they look kind of cute in my sandals and they come in handy for games of “this little piggy”.
Seriously, some “parts” may not have a practical function use per se except for appearance; like lip shape and hair color or those parts that are just too cute, attractive or erotic to us, and the opposite sex for evolution to discard, like earlobes or pinky toes. But attraction between the sexes and it’s obvious consequence is very important to our survival.
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Launchpad/3917/morph.html
I use my pinkie toes for balance. I rarely wear confining shoes so my pinkie toes are straight and strong.
The full Neanderthal type...around 60,000 years ago.
Perhaps the reason that the "full Neanderthal type" is more extreme than the ones from 90,000 year ago is a result of the great Toba eruption around 74,000 years ago. Scientists have recently suggested that human population was reduced to as few as 5 or 10,000 individuals as a result of the several years of "nuclear winter" that would have resulted when this monstor exploded leaving a crater measuring 18 miles by 65 miles. In contrast, Pinitubo left a crater 3 miles in diameter, and you may remember the 500 year flood we had in the Mississippi among other severe weather phenomena.
The isolated pockets of Neanderthal that survived, might have had the heavier, more "brutish" bodies that would have survived such severe conditions. This would then have remained is the "standard" body type. Meanwhile, our kind which survived in the warmer climate of Africa would have been quite different, with far less need for a heavy build.
The Neandertal EnigmaFrayer'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]
by James Shreeve
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.