JOURNAL OF CREATION 32(1) 2018 || BOOK REVIEWS
Modern science catches up with Neandertal man
in Neander Valley in 1856 (named The Neanderthals Rediscovered: after the famous hymn writer Joachim How modern science is rewriting Neander (1650–1680)). their story Based on its thick bones, and Dimitra Papagianni and Michael a protruding crest above the eyes, A. Morse the Neandertals were taken to be a Thames & Hudson Ltd, London, 2015 species of humans halfway between chimpanzees and modern humans. Marcellin Boule (1861–1942) of the Museum of Natural History in Paris Jean O’Micks suggested that Neandertals walked with a stooped posture, based on a inner of the Society for specimen from La Chapelle-aux- WAmerican Archaeology Book Saints, although later on it turned Award in 2015, this seven-chapter out that this specimen had arthritis in Europe and Israel are depicted in book tells how the way Neandertals and premature bone degeneration. figure 1. have been viewed by evolutionary Even Homo erectus was taken to be The first exit out of Africa sup anthropology has advanced since closer to modern humans because posedly took place 1.9 million years their discovery more than 150 years of its upright, erect posture. The ago, but it is disputed as to which ago. Because of the interesting subject Neandertal skull was much longer species left first, Homo habilis or H. matter, discussed by a leading scientific and flatter, with a protruding chin erectus (p. 27). This was due to the association, a review of this book is and stronger jawbones. The upper climate in Africa becoming drier, well warranted. The book is 199 pages limit of the endocranial volume forcing humans to change their diet long, with 77 illustrations, 20 of them of Neandertals is up to 1,740 ml from a plant-based one to one richer in colour. The book describes how with a mass of 1.7 kg (p. 131). in meat. Here, the authors state that the views of the Neandertals have the evidence is so scattered that some changed, regarding their morphology, anthropologists claim the genus Homo The forerunners of their geographical distribution, and, first evolved in Asia and back-migrated the Neandertals also, very interestingly, their behaviour into Africa.1 and cognitive abilities. Chapters two and three describe the Between 1 million and 600,000 The first chapter of the book starts dispersal of other human species before years ago, the first members of the with how the Neandertals were a type the Neandertals, some of whom were genus Homo appeared in southern of human that has been long mis their forerunners. The Neandertals Europe, such as in Atapuerca in understood. This is expanded upon themselves are supposed to have Spain, and as far north as a site near in the last chapter of the book, which lived from 500,000 to 20,000 years Happisburgh (pronounced “HAYSbra”) describes the popular, but false, ago, with the distinctive Neandertal in Norfolk, England. The Atapuerca imagery that Neandertals have in our form first appearing 250,000 years ago site had remains of two-horned society today. The Neandertals were (p. 48, 73). Neandertals are known rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses, bison, first presented during the 1863 meeting from several hundred fossil specimens sabre-toothed cats, lynxes, bears, and of the British Association for the all over the world. They ranged as far hyenas—a very different fauna from Advancement of Science at Newcastle- as Spain and western Asia, possibly that of today (p. 37). upon-Tyne. Professor William King even southern Siberia. At times, their What is peculiar is that the authors of Queen’s College, Galway, Ireland, geographical distribution overlapped say that it took more than half a million was the name giver of this type of with that of modern humans in some years to reach these supposedly early archaic human, based on the place places. Noteworthy fossil sites of southern European sites from Dmanisi, where its first fossils were discovered, Neandertals and their close relatives Georgia, in the Caucasus, which was
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