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A new study of a Neanderthal child's skeleton has suggested that Neanderthal brains developed more slowly than previous studies had indicated:
A new study shows that Neanderthal brains developed more slowly than ours. An analysis of a Neanderthal child's skeleton suggests that its brain was still developing at a time when the brains of modern human children are fully formed. This is further evidence that this now extinct human was not more brutish and primitive than our species. The research has been published in the journal Science.
Until now it had been thought that we were the only species whose brains develop slowly. Unlike other apes and more primitive humans modern humans have an extended period of childhood lasting several years. This is because it takes time and energy to develop our large brain. Previous studies of Neanderthal remains indicated that they developed more quickly than modern humans - suggesting that their brains might be less sophisticated.
But a team led by Prof Antonio Rosas of the Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid found that if anything, Neanderthal brains may develop more slowly than ours. "It was a surprise," he told BBC News. "When we started the study we were expecting something similar to the previous studies," he told BBC News.
Also at Science Magazine, NYT, and Discover Magazine.
The growth pattern of Neandertals, reconstructed from a juvenile skeleton from El Sidrón (Spain) (open, DOI: 10.1126/science.aan6463) (DX)
(Score: 3, Insightful) by MostCynical on Saturday September 23 2017, @08:50PM (1 child)
humans have large brains, that take a long time to grow and mature, because it isn't possible to *fit* through a human female pelvis fully grown.
Neanderthals had larger brains. Unless they'd found neanderthal remains of females with huge pelvises, how did they think the big brains developed?
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 24 2017, @10:47AM
Well the summary suggest now they think it happened "more slowly". So previously, they must have thought they developed "more quickly".
I only read the very first line though...