Re: Neanderthals...

pete (VINCENT@REG.TRIUMF.CA)
13 Sep 1995 19:53:23 GMT

Aila Korhonen (ailak@mail.freenet.hut.fi) sez:
`I can not have an opinion of the subject in lack of knowledge.
`Just a few notions:

`1. Geographical separation of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens for
`two million years sounds convincing for splitting them to different
`species.

[...]

`2. I would not expect interbreeding in densely inhabited - obviously
`advantageous - areas if a new population was pushing in. In such
`areas there propably was pressure even between groups of the
`original people and the newcomers would have a similar treatment,
`strengthened by their different look. Instead of mating, there
`should be fighting and radical eradication of the beaten population
`from the area (fresh examples given in TV all night).

Except that, now that Victorian prudery is gone from war reporting,
it becomes apparent that rape is a popular activity in war,
particularly where the enemy is regarded with contempt, as
so inferior as to be merely property.

Neanderthals
`would have been pushed to poorer lands against the ice in the north.
`Only later they would have 'sapientiated', getting more and more
`influence from the winners in the manner many later original groups
`have been mixed with their conquerors. All this, of course, if
`they really _did_ mix...

`I want to stress that I have no personal objection against either
`group as my distant forefathers. :)

Good thing. As a northern european, you are a prime candidate
for having a strong Neandertal component to your genetics.
(So am I: it would take some spectacular mutation to get
a nose the size of mine from an african ancestor in only
6000 generations.)

--
==========================================================================
vincent@triumf.ca <== faster % Pete Vincent
vincent@freenet.vancouver.bc.ca % Disclaimer: all I know I
% learned from reading Usenet.