Anthropology.net

Beyond bones & stones

Erik Trinkaus’ study of modern humans crania and the fate of the Neandertals

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Erik Trinkhaus is back with another publication on Neandertal-human hybridization. He has published, “European early modern humans and the fate of the Neandertals.” Check out the abstract,

“A consideration of the morphological aspects of the earliest modern humans in Europe (more than ~33,000 B.P.) and the subsequent Gravettian human remains indicates that they possess an anatomical pattern congruent with the autapomorphic (derived) morphology of the earliest (Middle Paleolithic) African modern humans. However, they exhibit a variable suite of features that are either distinctive Neandertal traits and/or plesiomorphic (ancestral) aspects that had been lost among the African Middle Paleolithic modern humans. These features include aspects of neurocranial shape, basicranial external morphology, mandibular ramal and symphyseal form, dental morphology and size, and anteroposterior dental proportions, as well as aspects of the clavicles, scapulae, metacarpals, and appendicular proportions. The ubiquitous and variable presence of these morphological features in the European earlier modern human samples can only be parsimoniously explained as a product of modest levels of assimilation of Neandertals into early modern human populations as the latter dispersed across Europe. This interpretation is in agreement with current analyses of recent and past human molecular data.”

Let me know if you want the PDF.

Written by Kambiz Kamrani

April 24, 2007 at 3:53 am

One Response

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  1. Ther are always interesting updates here, always. I enjoy Anthropology.net because it presents information in a way that I can understand, not being trained in the field. I especially enjoy the information about the evolution of humans and their kin.

    If possible, please send the PDF file for “European early modern humans and the fate of the Neandertals,” by E. Trinkhuas (April, 2007, PNAS).

    Cordially,

    Joe Shaw

    Joe Shaw

    October 20, 2007 at 10:13 am


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