|
|
Re: Modern Neanderthals?
Nick Maclaren (nmm1@cus.cam.ac.uk)
10 Oct 1996 08:14:51 GMT
In article <53dlal$bkf@ash.ridgecrest.ca.us>, Bob Keeter <b_keeter@owens.ridgecrest.ca.us> writes:
|> cryofan@brokersys.com (Randy) wrote:
|> >
|> >Just finished a novel, _Neanderthal_, by Darnton. Premise is that
|> >Neanderthals survive in the Pamirs, a high mountain range on Himilayan
|> >plateau near southern Russia, Afghanistan, etc. His basic point was
|> >that being intelligent and also evolved for survival in the ice age,
|> >they could live on in the high mountains. He cites reports of the
|> >"Alma" and, of course, the "Yeti" in this region as evidence.
|> >Similar premise to be found in Crichton's _Eaters of the Dead_.
>
|> All you have to do is to look at the physiology of the Neanderthal to
|> recognize that he was very "survival oriented". On the other hand, they
|> disappeared in Europe, some say becausee of competition with the more
|> modern design humans from Africa, some say because the environmental
|> factors that spawned the group disappeared. While it is possible that
|> the high remote mountains of the Pamirs or Himalayas might represent
|> a pretty good simulation of Europe in the Ice Age, I dont really think
|> that a culture of Neanderthals could exist without being observed in
|> some form. Very small groups that could conceiably escape detection
|> would just not provide enough genetic material to support long term
|> survival.
Not quite on this matter, has the vexed question of whether the
Neanderthals died out or were bred out been settled yet? I.e.
are we QUITE certain that we do not have some Neanderthal ancestry
ourselves?
Nick Maclaren,
University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory,
New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QG, England.
Email: nmm1@cam.ac.uk
Tel.: +44 1223 334761 Fax: +44 1223 334679
|