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Difference Between Humans and Neanderthals
Hominids is a family of humans and all their fossil ancestors as defined by Foley (2017). A study of the extinct hominids was made to help current society understand the association between modern humans and the other hominids such as Neanderthals. Scientists compare skeletons located in the museums to comprehend how Neanderthals relate to superior human beings. Humans and Neanderthals share around 97 percent of their features; at first glance, it is not surprising that their skulls might appear reasonably the same. However, several distinct traits help differentiate the two. In this context, the essay focuses on drawing the difference between modern humans and Neanderthals.
Neanderthals are the non-existing species of the hominid family. They are referred to as human relatives. They existed at least 200000 years ago before they became extinct. Hominids become extinct to pave the way for modern humans, often known as Homo sapiens. The discovery of their remains occurred in various places such as the Amud cave in Israel and the island of Flores. Besides, they are known to have existed in Europe and other parts of western Asia. The first discovery of their remains was made in the year 1856, and since then, many more have been found at various times in various places across Europe and Asia.
A primary distinctness between human and Neanderthals’ skulls is the brain case size. The human braincase is high, small divided brow ridge and rounded, while the Neanderthals have a small and low braincase and double arched brow ridge. The posterior part of the skull shows that a human brain is three times larger than a regular Neanderthal braincase. Humans have round braincase that is relatively bigger than that of the Neanderthal since it houses a much larger brain. The double arched ridge across the Neanderthal braincase is the position where their neck muscles connect to the scalp.
The Neanderthal face sticks out of the skull. Scientists refer to this phenomenon as facial prognathism. On the other hand, human faces are approximately flat. Also, humans have chins in their faces, unlike the Neanderthals. Since humans are the only hominids with chins, the chin makes their facial look distinct from each other.
Homo floresiensis is a Neanderthal that was discovered in the Flores island in Indonesia. The modern human has a different brain to the Homo floresiensis. Its brain was smaller in size hence resembling that of the ancient apes. The Homo floresiensis, unlike the modern human, was shorter in height, to the extent that the scientist thought the remains belonged to a child. Moreover, the Neanderthal teeth were of consistent sizes throughout their jaw thus resembling that of the present-day homo sapiens.
The human and Neanderthal skeletons also display a significant difference even though the Neanderthal skeleton still appeared like another version of the human skeleton. Neanderthals had flaring and long pelvis while modern humans have a short and narrow pelvis. Also, the Neanderthals had long, robust and curved fingers and toes in comparison to human toes and fingers which are slightly slender. Additionally, humans have a small face tucked below the front of the braincase while Neanderthals have a long projecting look.
In conclusion, even though modern humans and Neanderthals belong to the Hominidae family, they display significant differences in the biological and physical structure that occurred over time. It is important to note their dissimilarities as it provides extensive knowledge of the evolution of man. Some of the distinctions in this context are evident in their brain case size, the pelvis size, toes and fingers sizes, facial appearance, and height. Their skeletons differ a little although they both have almost similar features. Notably, Neanderthals no longer exist since they evolved into modern humans.
Work Cited
Foley, Robert A. “Evolutionary Ecology of Fossil Hominids.” Evolutionary ecology and human behavior. Routledge, 2017. 131-164.