Critical Assessments of Two Archaeology Articles - Essay Example

The study that Churchill makes on the adaptive possibilities is intended to narrow the many theories that exist on discovering why there is an equafinality of agents that might be given value for the production of adapted traits within Neanderthals. The argument within the paper contends that without discovering ways in which to evaluate the various hypotheses there is nothing preventing the equal consideration of those hypotheses that are ‘untenable’. In other words, some hypotheses are so ridiculous that there must be a way to dispute them, but without a methodology for verifying hypotheses that have some validity, there is no recourse to dispute any hypothesis.

Therefore, it appears that the main focus of the paper is to find a way to evaluate hypotheses on agents of traits through exploration of one specific trait. Churchill (2008) suggests that “The study of the flow of energy through the Neanderthal’s world holds the promise of a solution to some of the conundrums that exist in functional morphology or adaptive studies of these archaic humans” (p. 115). . However, through further exploration, the idea was refuted, thus providing for an assessment that suggested that perhaps Neanderthals had less of a capacity to tolerate cold temperatures than did humans.

In addition, the nature of the energy required to heat the bodies that they had developed was such that the high levels of calories were needed to make it function properly and that during the time of year when food was most difficult to obtain, higher levels of calories would be needed in order to supported additional efficiency in maintaining body temperature. The primary purpose of the paper was to find and use methods of research that could verify suppositions about the adaptive agents that provided for the development of traits in Neanderthals.

In working with multiple levels of biologically sound and rational discovery, Churchill manages to make a reasonable discussion about the topic, even if a firm conclusion was not possible. The problem that exists within this concept is that another researcher may find ways in which to manipulate data to support his or her hypothesis while ignoring the variations that would refute it. The purpose of the paper brings to light the problem without genuinely discovering a responsive solution. Works Cited Churchill, S. E. Bioenergetic Perspectives on Neanderthal Thermoregulatory and Activity Budget: A Review. pp. 113–134.

Found in K. Harvati and T. Harrison (eds.), Neanderthals Revisited: New Approaches and Perspectives. New York: Springer, 2008. Print. Clients Name Name of Professor Name of Class Date Skin Deep: A Critical Assessment Nina G. Jablonski and George Chaplin discuss the development