Re: Neanderthals...
Alex Duncan (aduncan@mail.utexas.edu)
15 Sep 1995 02:20:45 GMT
In article <435ohh$k99@freenet.hut.fi> Aila Korhonen,
ailak@mail.freenet.hut.fi writes:
>1. Geographical separation of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens for
>two million years sounds convincing for splitting them to different
>species. Anyway, if the separation was complete, there was no
>pressure to _develop_ mating hindrances between them. Instead, if the
>speciation occured in the same area and was based on differences in
>living habits, such hindrances should be advantageous. They would
>help to avoid crossings that were inferior to both parental types.
>Those different looking apes wandering, but not breeding together
>(and maybe specializing in different food) is a good example. Goat
>and sheep are another. Any population geneticists out there?
Where'd you get 2 Myr? Most of the evidence I'm aware of suggest
possible separation by 300 kyr, or perhaps a little older, depending on
how old you think Petralona might be.
Alex Duncan
Dept. of Anthropology
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX 78712-1086
512-471-4206
aduncan@mail.utexas.edu
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