In the Evidence section of the book, Shenk writes that all human beings are descendd from the same African ancestors. He wrote on footnote 106 that the existing fossil evidence suggests that anatomically modern human evolved in Africa, within the last ~200,000 years. Later, fossils of Neanderthals in Europe and Homoerectus in Asia was found. These were earlier species of humans around 160,000. Fossils of the earliest anatomically modern humans found outside Africa are from two sites in the Middle East and date to a period of relative global warmth, ~100,000 years ago. What are the difference in Neanderthals and modern human form that made Neanderthals to live far away from Africa?
Kitae Seong (skt07071994@hotmail.com)
In an anthropology website, the author delineates some of the key evolutionary differences between the Neanderthals and modern humans. Some of the physical differences were "low sloping foreheads" and a "prominent bulge" from the back of the skull. However, there is still debate as to whether Neanderthals are ancient Homo sapiens or an entire different species (Palomar).
ReplyDeleteCampbell expands on the evolution of Neanderthals in section 34.8. It states that recent studies show that Neanderthals' and humans' "DNA appear to be consistent with limited gene flow between the two species," concluding that "it is not likely that Neanderthals gave rise to European humans"(732).
This external data conflicts with Kate Berg's hypothesis that "anatomically modern humans evolved in Africa, within the last ~200,000 year" (Shenk 304). The reason for the geographical differences between Neanderthals and modern humans can be attributed to environmental factors, like the "period of relative global warmth ~100,000 years ago" (Shenk 305). As such, human migration away from Africa does not indicate an evolutionary connection to Neanderthals.
Website: http://anthro.palomar.edu/homo2/mod_homo_2.htm
Nathan Ro (nathanro94@gmail.com)