Neandertals and Homo Sapiens - Essay Example

What follows is a brief presentation that sheds the light on this species of human like creature, exposing the different anthropological breakthroughs and discoveries that have came to remold our idea of the Neanderthal man. Modern anthropological findings suggest that the Neanderthal man may have lived around the years extending from 250 000 to 20 000 BC. Counting for more than a century since its discovery, theories and hypotheses around this creature have diversified albeit they mostly reflected the prejudgments of the moment.

Long considered as a sub-human species at the heart of the “Homo Sapien” lineage it was at first called Homo sapiens neanderthalensis in consequence. Only later was it considered by authors and researchers as a distinct species and labeled as “Homo Neanderthalensis”. More recent studies have also suggested that the two species, “Homo Neanderthalensis” and “Homo Sapiens” may have crossbred amongst each other. . A Neanderthal man though, and as much as he may seem to resemble the modern human, has some marked characteristics, for instance the difference is clear when it comes to the volume of the brain, while an average human brain measures around 1300 ml, a Neanderthal brain have been known to measure as much as 1700 ml.

Another, striking difference that sets apart the two human species is perhaps an anatomical one, as a quick analysis of the Neanderthal anatomy shows that the latter had larger bones in comparison to us modern humans, added to that the muscle mass which is also far superior to what a normal human being would have nowadays. Neanderthals as it would seem were large boned and heavily muscled, probably so to be withstand the hard natural conditions that were in the days. Height was not the Neanderthal man’s strongpoint, as fully grown male adults would average a height of 164 cm (5 feet 5 inches).

This primitive man is said to have been an avid hunter, this is particularly true as suggested by sheer number of healed fractured bones found in Neanderthal bodies, and as their thick leg bones suggest, they used to do alot of walking and running, running which was essential and required if they were to hunt fast moving animals, and if they were to be entrenched in long chases for their daily meat. As scientific research has it, these primitive beings were almost exclusively carnivores and assuring their daily meat meant a lot of effort, risk and danger which is associated with the fractured bones mentioned above.

Lastly, and as far as culture is concerned, our primitive friends may not have been so primitive as we might think, as numerous Neanderthal burial sites were found,sites in which bodies were buried alongside