Re: "Was Neanderthal White ?"
Layne1914 (layne1914@aol.com)
5 Jul 1995 01:11:55 -0400
To answer that you would have to be able to answer: "What is white?"
No this not a lesson in zen.
Not even the most vehement bigots and racists of science's past could do
so.
No scientifically callibrated physical traits nor genes exists that can be
used to define race.
I do not contend that such ideas do not surface everday in our lives, nor
that some physical traits have a tendency to be dominate in some
interbreeding populations.
I am asserting that any mention of race in anthropological terms is shaky.
I wish I could be as assured as Mr. Duncan that Neanderthal was a separate
species. Just typing that makes me uneasy. I do not know, but certainly
have been intrigued by the question.
There are interesting debates published in "Current Anthropology", esp. on
the pelvises of Neanderthal females (from 1985-present). The contention
is that Neanderthals may have been born larger and more mature than our
own "ancestors." The Neanderthal female pelvises are proported to be
larger and gestation periods estimated to be of longer duration. It's a
fascinating debate regardless.
|