Since the mid-19th century, when the Neanderthals were
discovered, perceptions of them as a brutish, simple-minded species a few levels
below contemporary humans on the evolutionary ladder have persisted. They
are said to be stoop-backed, heavy-browed, and to communicate in ape-like
grunts.
Even with all the evidence showing how similar their genes and cultures
are, our
long-lost
"cousins" are still far too frequently relegated to
their own species,
Homo neanderthalensis.
A group of scientists who have spent the last 20 years sifting through
layers of sand and dust in the Gruta da Oliveira cave location in central
Portugal believe that this classification is time for a revision.
Lead author of a recent paper that summarizes decades of research on what
was home to Neanderthal families more than 71,000 years ago, Diego
Angelucci, is an archaeologist at the University of Trento. "More than
different species, I would speak of different human forms," he adds.
Angelucci and his colleagues described in detail how, between 93,000 and
71,000 years ago, Neanderthals lived in Gruta da Oliveira, sharing the cave
with wolves, lions, brown bears, and lynxes on alternate occasions.
Amidst the dispersed stone tools and animal remnants, there were bones that
had a burnt appearance that offered compelling proof of the deliberate
application of fire.
With a fireplace that hardly ever moved and a variety of foods being
cooked, including goat, deer, and horses, it was evident that fire played a
significant role in daily Neanderthal life at Gruta da Oliveira.
It is no secret that for at least 250,000 years or more, members of the
hominid family tree have enjoyed a good fire. Those fires were intentionally
ignited, controlled, and confined for a large period of that time with the
intention of cooking, if not remaining warm and deterring predators.
However, by the time anatomically modern humans became distinguishably
different, Neanderthals had already long since broken away from our common
ancestral ancestry; in fact, some scholars speculate that Neanderthals left
us more than 800,000 years ago.
When their bones were first found in a quarry in 1864, science entered a
new era and the idea that there had once been other human species
emerged.
The Anglo-Irish geologist William King said they belonged to a different
species, one that stood erect like humans but had a hunched, more robust
look, based on clear variations in anatomy. From the perspective of
Victorian-era anthropology, this long-dead relative who lived in caves was
seen to be an intellectual fool compared with contemporary people.
Our perceptions of the Neanderthal increasingly changed as new information
became available and analytical techniques advanced. The animalistic
growling and
outdated stoop
are gone. It seems that our 'primitive' ancestors had crafted jewelry,
buried their dead on purpose, and maybe even produced artwork.
The idea that Neanderthal society was far from primitive and much more like
our own is strengthened by evidence that they skillfully employed fire in
their technologies.
"There is a general agreement among archaeologists that they knew how to
use fire," Angelucci states.
"However, one thing is to use fire started by natural processes, such as
lightning, another is to make it, feed it with wood and use it for cooking,
heating and defense."
The exact process by which they may have ignited fires remains unclear, but
according to Angelucci, it may not have differed significantly from other
Neolithic customs, such the flint and tinder approach employed by Ötzi, the
Iceman.
The evidence that Neanderthals often interbred with our own ancestors
throughout history is confirmed by DNA study, which makes the case against
their existing as a distinct species much weaker.
It's doubtful that Homo neanderthalensis will be officially classified as
extinct very soon. Despite its
messiness, confusion, and conservatism, taxonomy is nonetheless important and
essential to our knowledge of biology throughout history.
Nevertheless, it appears that the elderly Neanderthal ought to be seated
next to us in the Homo sapiens family portrait—more like a sister than a
cousin.
This research was published in
PLOS ONE.
