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High notes of the singing Neanderthals
http://www.timesonline.co.uk ^ | 01/30/05 | Jonathan Leake

Posted on 01/30/2005 6:25:53 PM PST by IllumiNaughtyByNature

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The new image has emerged from two studies of the vocal apparatus and anatomy of the creatures that occupied Europe between 200,000 and 35,000 years ago.

Neanderthal voices were loud, womanly and probably highly melodic — not the roars and grunts previously assumed by most researchers. Stephen Mithen, professor of archeology at Reading University and author of one of the studies, said: “What is emerging is a picture of an intelligent and emotionally complex creature whose most likely form of communication would have been part language and part song.”

Mithen is giving a seminar on his findings at University College London next week and will publish a book, The Singing Neanderthal: The Origin of Language, Music, Body and Mind, in June.

He studied the Neanderthal voice box and compared it with those of modern humans, monkeys and apes to work out what noises they might have made. “They must have been able to communicate complex ideas and even spirituality. Their anatomy suggests that pitch and melody would have played a key role,” he said.

Mithen’s work coincides with the first detailed study of a reconstructed Neanderthal skeleton. Anthropologists at the American Museum of Natural History in New York brought together bones and casts from several sites to re-create the creature.

Gary Sawyer, the researcher who oversaw the project, will describe the results in Horizon on BBC2 on February 10. The creature that emerges bears marked differences to humans. Neanderthals seem to have had an extremely powerful build and no discernible waist.

Professor Trenton Holliday of Tulane University in New Orleans believes they evolved their stocky body shapes to conserve heat when ice covered the world.

“A short compact body with a voluminous chest would retain heat better in a cold environment,” he said.

1 posted on 01/30/2005 6:25:53 PM PST by IllumiNaughtyByNature
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To: K4Harty
Site Meter "Ape-like brutes"... you mean they were studying Kennedy and Kerry?
2 posted on 01/30/2005 6:26:42 PM PST by KMC1
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To: K4Harty

Finally! An explanation for Michael Bolton.


3 posted on 01/30/2005 6:27:30 PM PST by Yankee
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To: Yankee

I just pictured captain Caveman singing a little ditty...


4 posted on 01/30/2005 6:28:29 PM PST by IllumiNaughtyByNature (If Islam is a religion of peace, they should fire their P.R. guy!)
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To: KMC1
I highly resent my people being referred to as "creatures." :oP
5 posted on 01/30/2005 6:33:46 PM PST by BigCinBigD
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To: K4Harty

"The hills are alive with the sound of cavemen,
with songs they have sung for 10,000 years."


6 posted on 01/30/2005 6:34:51 PM PST by Socratic (Ignorant and free? It's not to be! - T. Jefferson (paraphrase))
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To: Socratic

Thats the ditty! :o)


7 posted on 01/30/2005 6:37:43 PM PST by IllumiNaughtyByNature (If Islam is a religion of peace, they should fire their P.R. guy!)
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To: K4Harty

"Thats the ditty!"

I just knew it.


8 posted on 01/30/2005 6:39:57 PM PST by Socratic (Ignorant and free? It's not to be! - T. Jefferson (paraphrase))
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To: K4Harty
deeply emotional beings with high-pitched voices. They may even have sung to each other,

Sounds like they were the first metrosexuals.

9 posted on 01/30/2005 6:40:05 PM PST by ElkGroveDan
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To: K4Harty
He studied the Neanderthal voice box and compared it with those of modern humans, monkeys and apes to work out what noises they might have made. “They must have been able to communicate complex ideas and even spirituality. Their anatomy suggests that pitch and melody would have played a key role,” he said.

So which monkey is singing spiritual songs that led him to deduce this?

10 posted on 01/30/2005 6:43:24 PM PST by Lester Moore (Islam is begging to be destroyed by a Christian Crusade! Forthcoming!)
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To: Yankee

I was thinking the Boss.


11 posted on 01/30/2005 6:47:27 PM PST by aroostook war
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To: K4Harty
At times like this I really regret that Gary Larson isn't still doing Far Side cartoons...he had some classics featuring Neanderthals and assorted cavemen.
12 posted on 01/30/2005 6:54:36 PM PST by Verginius Rufus
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To: Lester Moore
So which monkey is singing spiritual songs that led him to deduce this?

???? I think that he is trying to make monkies of us. The next thing that he will tell us is that the males wore lipstick.
13 posted on 01/30/2005 6:56:46 PM PST by ARCADIA (Abuse of power comes as no surprise)
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To: K4Harty

SPOTREP - Neanderthal


14 posted on 01/30/2005 7:11:37 PM PST by LiteKeeper (Secularization of America is happening)
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To: K4Harty

They would have been perfect for Monty Python skits.


15 posted on 01/30/2005 7:15:20 PM PST by Kirkwood
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To: K4Harty

>I just pictured captain Caveman singing a little ditty...

OH MY GOSH!! I completely forgot Captain Caveman! I wonder why that oldy but goody hasn't graced my children's cartoon channels yet?


16 posted on 01/30/2005 7:20:50 PM PST by sandbar
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To: Socratic

What do you do with a problem like Neanderthal?


17 posted on 01/30/2005 8:15:01 PM PST by DannyTN
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To: K4Harty
Modern day Neanderthal?


18 posted on 01/30/2005 8:20:39 PM PST by Between the Lines ("Christianity is not a religion; it is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.")
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To: K4Harty

I guess these guys have been watching too many Geico commercials.


19 posted on 01/30/2005 8:49:48 PM PST by I still care (America is not the problem - it is the solution..)
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To: sandbar

20 posted on 01/30/2005 9:20:15 PM PST by IllumiNaughtyByNature (If Islam is a religion of peace, they should fire their P.R. guy!)
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