Tagged: neanderthals

Counting the calories of cannibalism - News

Jean Balchin • Apr 16, 2017 •

• calories,
• Cannibalism,
• neanderthals,
• nutrition

Human cannibalism is a deliciously fascinating topic. Identifying the motivations for human cannibalism remains a contentious issue. A recently-constructed nutritional template for the human body suggests that prehistoric human cannibalism was most likely motivated by something other than nutritional needs. Human flesh may have been cooked for greater calorific value. James Cole, from the University of Brighton found that the … Read More

“Killer neandertals” – a wild claim that doesn’t want to go away - BioBlog

Alison Campbell • Nov 07, 2016 •

• homonids,
• neandertals,
• neanderthals,
• palaeoanthropology,
• prehistory,
• primates

A while ago now (6 years ago, in fact! How time flies when you’re having fun), I wrote a piece about some fairly wild claims made about Neandertals. Rather surprisingly this post continues to attract occasional comments from those who firmly believe in the idea that Neandertals were cannibalistic, brutish savages rather than our very close cousins, an idea … Read More

Given the Finger - Southern Genes

Peter Dearden • Jul 11, 2015 •

• adaption,
• denisovans,
• genome sequence,
• human evolution,
• neanderthals

Our extinct relatives still shape the way we evolve. Read More

Working out what makes us human. - Southern Genes

Peter Dearden • Dec 20, 2013 •

• denisovans,
• genome sequence,
• neanderthals,
• regulatory evolution

Peter K. Dearden. One key question in biology is what makes us different as a species. Humans have a remarkable set of adaptations that distinguish us from even our closest living relatives. We walk upright, we have larger brains, we use language, and we are consummate tool-makers and users. From the point of view of an alien, perhaps, these differences … Read More

Are you descended from Neandertals? - Southern Genes

Peter Dearden • Sep 02, 2010 •

• genetics,
• human evolution,
• Mary Gray,
• neanderthals

Mary Gray, PhD student, Clinical Genetics Research Group They huddled in their fur pelts wrapped against their dark skin with cords made from hide and gut. No one had travelled this far north before in the history of their people, and it was late enough for the wolves to come out. In the foothills ahead they could see the distinct … Read More

If some of us have Neanderthal genes, are Neanderthals us? - The Atavism

David Winter • Jun 08, 2010 •

• evolution,
• genetics,
• genomics,
• human evolution,
• human genome,
• might interest someone,
• neanderthals,
• research blogging,
• sci-blogs

I got a little bit starry eyed writing about the Neanderthal genome the other day. I chose to retrace the arc of scientific progress that links the initial description of Neanderthal man as something different than modern humans to the point reached l... Read More