is there a secret in human evolution?
2006-09-17 01:30:10 · 13 answers · asked by strings 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Other - Science
There are skeletons that were discovered that showed a mix of modern human and neanderthals characteristics; so the concensus seems to be that this is a very likely occurence.
Has any offspring of neandethals mixed with modern humans survived and has descendent living today is however totally unkown. After so many generations, the neandethal genes would have been slowly weeded out.
2006-09-17 01:38:37 · answer #1 · answered by Vincent G 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Neanderthals are a good example of how political correctness influences scientific judgment. Neanderthals are classified as a different species of hominids: they're not classed as Homo sapiens. The reason for that is they exhibit enough morphological variation with some standard "modern human" to be accorded the status of a separate species. And they get that status even though they were probably interfertile with Cro-Magnon. (There probably were cross-breeds of the two species.)
But Homo Neanderthalis isn't the only hominid who displays quite a lot of morphological variation with Cro-Magnon. African bushmen and hottentots, the aboriginals of Indonesia and Australia, and the Negritos of Panay (Philippines), exhibit about as much variation. So why aren't they also classed as species separate from the descendants of Cro-Magnon?
The reason is this. Neanderthal is dead. These other groups are still around. If Neanderthal were still alive, there would be much political pressure from the "only one human race" liberals to reclassify them as Homo sapiens.
Most likely, some of the more primitive hominids in the world today are really variants of late Homo erectus. They aren't sapiens at all. The classic morphological trait is cranial capacity, which indicates brain size. There's enough variation in that trait alone to set modern hominids into several species.
2006-09-17 09:04:08 · answer #2 · answered by David S 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, they were compatible - don't see the problem though.
If your thinking of a type of person who exhibits certain traits, don't.
The gene pool has developed enough for it to be a human trait.
Anyway Neanderthals were human.
Species are undefined, but I still keep the personal opinion that if you can breed your the same.
2006-09-17 08:40:48 · answer #3 · answered by Simon D 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, just look at George W Bush. He manages to convince the neanderthals he's clever but the homosapiens have all got him sussed. plus he can't ride a bike. Or speak.
2006-09-17 08:40:52 · answer #4 · answered by jennymilluk 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I heard that they discovered, sometime back, the fossil of a 5 year old with both the chraracteristics of a neanderthal and homo sapien.
2006-09-17 08:36:50 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ugh yes. If I was pure Neanderthal, I would go, Ugh Ugh. You can imagine Nandy popping round to the cave when all the more evolved men were out hunting.
2006-09-19 13:39:52 · answer #6 · answered by Veritas 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No because Neanderthals were not human.
2006-09-17 08:32:24 · answer #7 · answered by N3WJL 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If they were stil around yes. Neanderthals bred with homo sapiens our immediate ancestors. Modern humans are one step up from homo sapiens, and to distinguish us from them, we are called homo sapiens sapiens.
2006-09-18 18:14:17 · answer #8 · answered by colin.christie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Of course they have, everytime Colleen shags Wayne Rooney
2006-09-17 16:18:06 · answer #9 · answered by Tazman 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have a theory that I did once, but I don't like to talk about it.
2006-09-17 08:44:50 · answer #10 · answered by Bacon 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋