| Papers [1-14] of 19 :: [Page 1 of 2] | | Go to page : 1 2 —> | Search results on "NEANDERTHAL POPULATIONS": |
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Neanderthal Populations, 2005.
A look at some of the theories behind the disappearance of Neanderthal populations.
900 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 5 sources, £ 24.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses how it is widely hypothesized that the Neanderthal or archaic Homo sapiens' abrupt disappearance and the sudden appearance of Modern Homo sapiens is due to violent competition with this or other related populations. It looks at how there are other documented theories that are seemingly more popular and provides an overview of the leading theories and identifies that racism may play a role in how data is interpreted.
From the Paper
"It is widely hypothesized that the Neanderthal or archaic Homo sapiens' abrupt disappearance and the sudden appearance of Modern Homo sapiens is due to violent competition with this or other related populations (Cro-Magnon man para. 1). However, there are other documented theories that are seemingly more popular including that Neanderthals starved to extinction; that they did not evolve technologically or socially and therefore could not compete for food; and interbreeding resulted in their traits disappearing (Seebach para. 7). To date, scientists are divided on these leading theories and to make matters more complex, are still acknowledging racial biases and the affect this has had on the collection of data and development of theory (Cartmill para. 23). "
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Neanderthal Man, 2002.
A discussion of the similarities between Neanderthal man and humans today.
970 words (approx. 3.9 pages), 5 sources, MLA, £ 23.95
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Abstract
This paper argues that Neanderthal man is related to modern humans by looking at elements of the Neanderthal physiology, behavior and cultural life. It shows how, allowing for the effects of a harsh, cold climate, Neanderthal physiology is remarkably similar to that of Homo Sapiens and how like modern humans, Neanderthals developed tools and had a capacity for language. Neanderthals also buried their dead, created artwork, had a concept of an afterlife and had a societal structure with strong social ties.
From the Paper
"Recent findings on the mitochondrial DNA taken from the right humerus of a Neanderthal skeleton failed to show significant similarities with the mitochondrial DNA of modern humans. According to the study, one sequence of Neanderthal DNA differs drastically from the same stretch of modern human DNA -- about half as much as today's humans differ from chimps. Disparities that large, the researchers conclude, suggest that about 600,000 years ago, Neanderthals branched out into their own evolutionary line. This line was distinct from the line that eventually would become today's Homo sapiens (Suplee A1). Neanderthals were too genetically different from modern man and should thus be classified homo neandertalis."
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A Glimpse into Neanderthal Culture, 2004.
A look into the development of Neanderthal culture by examining their language use, tool usage, and other daily functions.
4,875 words (approx. 19.5 pages), 14 sources, MLA, £ 86.95
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Abstract
When people think of the Humanoid genus, Homo Sapiens neanderthalensis (HSN), they picture a very primitive creature, simplistic in nature, with few social complexities.This paper explains that, upon close examination of several Neanderthan archaeological sites, one will find the Neanderthal man had all of the necessary elements for the beginning of the formation of modern society. It was once thought that these elements were only present in Neanderthan culture after contact with Home Sapiens sapiens (HSS). However, evidence now exists that suggests that Neanderthals were already well on their way to developing a formal, but rudimentary, culture well before contact with HSS. This research examines these findings using evidence gathered from the Petralona, Larga Velhol, St. Cesaire, Shanidar, and Arago sites. This research supports the thesis that Neanderthals had the beginnings of an advanced society prior to contact with Home Sapiens sapiens and that the disappearance of the Neanderthan culture was a result of the intermixing of HSN species with HSS species.
From the Paper
"The use of language by Neanderthal man has been as issue of contention since the first discoveries of the culture. Some archeologists paint the picture of Neanderthal man as a highly advanced mammal with little or no language capability. However, this is inconsistent with other findings. One of the keys to deciphering these arguments is to be careful in the definition of language. There are many aspects to the term ?language?. One might consider language to consist of a series of non-verbal cues and sounds that to modern man would not seem like a language, as we know it today. The silver-backed gorilla and chimpanzee have been found to have an advanced language of this type and have even been able to learn out language by way of sign language in some cases. Neanderthal man was more advanced in other areas than these other primates in tool usage and manufacture, and other areas of advanced culture. It would stand to reason then, that they had a language, at least as advanced as that of the more advanced primates of today. Perhaps the language of today?s advanced primates is more complex than we are aware and it is simply a case of us not being able to understand or to pick up on subtleties known only to native speakers. Let us now examine the evidence."
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Neanderthal Subsistence Patterns, 2001.
A discussion of new isotopic evidence along with other new data which is leading the way in painting a new picture of the Neanderthal man and his subsistence patterns.
4,025 words (approx. 16.1 pages), 7 sources, APA, £ 75.95
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Abstract
This paper presents detailed descriptions of previous evidence and theory for neanderthal subsistence pattern of a scavenger plus an attempt to topple that theory in light of the new evidence at hand. This new evidence includes isotopic data that suggest a meat only diet and other studies that suggest wide spread active hunting through wear patterns on tools. These point to a subsistence pattern of a top level predator not that of a lowly scavenger.
From the Paper
"Of any ancient fossil hominid it?s a hands down, no contest winner for the prize of best known and understood1. Say ?Neanderthal?, and archaeologist and laymen alike would not have to work hard to conjure up the classical short stocky body frame, the indicative brow ridge and the protruding facial features of the Neanderthal people. But it is not all that simple, while we may have a plethora of faunal and lithic remains including those of the skeleton, the pictures of life style, diet, culture, and land use for example that these paint are not as complete as one might think. Often times the pictures one can paint from these remains are very cloudy take Neanderthal subsistence patterns and diet for instance. Neanderthal subsistence has been under heated controversy from its infancy. The two camps have their talons well immersed in the flesh of the faunal and lithic fossil records. The prevailing theory has been that Neanderthal subsistence and acquisition of foodstuffs as primarily a scavenging life style. However, in light of recent discoveries and new isotopic analysis a review of the lithic and faunal evidence is necessary and many are revising their previous theories. The picture is dramatically changing, isotopic data along with Neanderthal contemporaries at the KRM site in Africa are providing archaeologists with a picture of an organized people who were at the top of their environments trophic pyramid. Recent research on hominid strategies for meat procurement has focused on the interpretations of bones recovered from archaeological sites. Binford?s 1984 analysis of faunal collections from Middle Stone Age deposits of the Klasies River Mouth Cave in South Africa identified carnivore activity and hominid scavenging of carnivore kills as major sources of the large mammal remains at the early Late Pleistocene site. From the skeletal parts represented and patterns of cut-marks on the bones, Binford concluded, ?in short, there is nothing in the data from Klasies River Mouth to suggest technologically-aided hunting, or even tactical hunting, as such? (1984). Although this interpretation of the Klasies River Mouth fauna is disputed by Klein (1986), Binford?s conclusion has been extended to the whole of hominid subsistence prior to the Middle-Upper Paleolithic transition of the Late Pleistocene (Binford 1984). For the sake of argument and our purpose of substantiating Neanderthals as top-level hunters, Binford?s extension will serve to illustrate the faunal evidence for scavenging vs. hunting."
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The Neanderthal Problem, 2008.
A analysis of the relationship between early homo sapiens and the Neanderthals.
1,011 words (approx. 4.0 pages), 4 sources, APA, £ 24.95
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Abstract
This paper examines a number of the dominant theories concerning the nature of the relationship between the ancestors of modern humans - early homo sapiens or "anatomically modern" (AM) populations - and the distinct species of the "homo" genus known as the Neanderthals. The paper then examines the fate of the Neanderthals. The paper focuses on the two main groups of theories: replacement theory and the interbreeding theory.
From the Paper
"It should be noted, however, that there is as yet no definitive conclusion to the "Neanderthal problem" as scholars and researchers in a range of disciplines from archaeology to bio-genetics argue about the complex issues in this debate. It is clear that AM populations who comprise the ancestors of modern day humanity likely played some role in the extinction of the Neanderthals, given the coincidence of their settlements in the archaeological record, as well as similarities in their cultural technologies. This being said, however, the question of whether early humans replaced Neanderthals - who became extinct through natural processes or violence - or absorbed them through interbreeding, remains an open subject of debate to this day."
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The Neanderthal, 1994.
An examination of the fossil evidence and theories describing the human ancestor and the location, culture and role in evolution.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 9 sources, £ 32.95
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From the Paper
"Neanderthal: The Fossil Evidence
During the 2.5 million years of human evolution, there have been several developmental offshoots. The different hominid branches, however, may be blurred by interbreeding. One European subspecies, Neanderthal, appeared approximately 125,000 years ago. Whether this subspecies eventually gave rise to modern humans is currently a topic of considerable controversy. On one side, researchers argue that modern Homo sapiens evolved gradually from existing hominid populations throughout the world. In contrast, others postulate that H. sapiens developed in Africa 200,000 years ago, and then replaced other archaic hominid types. The truth may be that both arguments are partially correct.
The human lineage began with the emergence of Homo habilis:..."
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Archaeology and Neanderthals, 2002.
This paper critically analyses the position of Neanderthals in the process of human evolution
2,150 words (approx. 8.6 pages), 8 sources, £ 55.95
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Abstract
This paper critically analyses the position of Neanderthals in the process of human evolution
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The Neanderthals, 2002.
An overview of the theories related to this early race of humans which originated in Europe.
1,580 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 8 sources, MLA, £ 35.95
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Abstract
The Neanderthals were an early race who lived in Europe and probably West Asia between 120,000 and 35,000 years ago. This paper looks at the fossils found from 1856 who tell the story of the Neanderthal's travelling through Europe and Asia. It looks at the three conflicting theories between scientists who disagree over their interpretations about what constitutes the characteristics of a Neanderthal. Other aspects discussed in the paper include anatomical characteristics, tool-making techniques and cultural rituals.
From the Paper
"Scientists who examined the fossils disagreed in their interpretations. German anatomist Rudolf Virchow was the first to study these fossils and believed that they decidedly belonged to a homo sapiens with rickets, a physical condition that results from the lack of Vitamin D (Browning). Virchow also suggested that the Neanderthal man?s flattened head was the outcome of powerful blows. As more fossils got discovered, the belief that they belonged to a sub-human species developed.
After many skeletons were dug out, French paleontologist Marcellin Boule advanced the theory that Neanderthals could not fully extend their legs, walked in stooped posture, and with their heads thrust forward. The concept was popularly accepted for approximately 50 years, after which Boule?s theory was appraised by researchers. They concluded that Neanderthals did not walk in stoop posture but rather upright but stooped because of arthritis (Browning). Some scientists considered them a subspecies of homo sapiens, to which contemporary human beings belong today. This assumption was based on the differences in anatomy between the Neanderthals and the homo sapiens."
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On Neanderthals : Debunking Traditional Creationist Views, 1999.
1,711 words (approx. 6.8 pages), 7 sources, £ 38.95
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Abstract
This paper presents information to support the theory of evolution. The author attempts to debunk creationism as a theory through an examination of bone structure of the Neanderthal. The paper offers a basic scientific look at evolution.
From the Paper
"In the twentieth century one of the most heated and perhaps futile debates is whether man was created in a single moment by a supreme deity or if man is simply a highly evolved specimen of billions of years of evolution. In the last one hundred years, scientific evidence of hominid evolution has amassed as scientists have begun to excavate more sites containing mesmerizing archeological findings. Bones of such infamous hominids like Lucy, the Peking Man, and Neanderthals have increased understanding and awareness of our hominid ancestors, which have only fueled the fire for debate among Creationists and Evolutionists. While many sound arguments concerning these findings have been raised, many more invalid claims have emerged which lack the validity and scientific evidence but have nevertheless become a staple in Creationist reasoning."
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Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons, 1992.
Examines how the former disappeared and the latter emerged includes archaeological evidence, theories, tools, rituals, society, communications, evolution and interbreeding.
4,725 words (approx. 18.9 pages), 11 sources, £ 93.95
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From the Paper
"A number of questions have been raised as a result of the studies pertaining to Neanderthal man. Like modern man, the Neanderthals are classified as homo sapiens. This distinguishes them from the homo erectus creatures which preceded them. Descriptions of Neanderthal man indicate that he "was normally chinless, had prominent brow ridges and a receding forehead, but his brain was as large as modern man's" (Bray & Trump, 1979, p. 159). At the same time, however, the Neanderthals were clearly different in many ways from modern man. In fact, there is evidence that when the Neanderthals became extinct, they were replaced by Cro-Magnon man. The Cro-Magnons are essentially the same as modern man. By contrast, the remains of Neanderthal man seem to possess characteristics which are both primitive and modern. The fossil evidence indicates that the Neanderthals co-..."
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Neanderthals, 2001.
Discusses new findings & studies which indicate species closer to modern man than previously thought.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 13 sources, £ 32.95
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From the Paper
"Neanderthals have long been thought of as a very primitive species, but this view is changing as evidence to the contrary emerges. Studies on Neanderthal remains have shown that they were not as primitive as initially thought, and that they possessed the ability for flexible, creative behavior similar to modern man (Brainard, 1998). They have previously been thought of as lacking language skills, foresight, creativity, and other cognitive abilities found in modern humans. In 1977, German anthropologists reported finding aerodynamic wooden spears belonging to ancestors of Neanderthals made 400,000 years ago (Brainard, 1998, p. 72), and stone spearheads have been found at many Neanderthal sites in both Europe and the Middle East (Bower, 1999, p. 4). Scientists investigating Neanderthal remains in a cave in France found evidence of tool marks on the bones..."
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Neanderthals, 1997.
Role of this early hominid in human evolution & conflict between continuity and replacement theories.
1,800 words (approx. 7.2 pages), 9 sources, £ 43.95
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From the Paper
"In the continuing debate over the origins of modern humans, he role of Neanderthal, at first almost disregarded, has been reinstated as a major piece of the overall puzzle. As it became clear that Neanderthals were not simply an early stage in the evolution of modern humans and that previous approaches to this group were colored by certain biases, the entire matter has been opened up again. A review of the basic theories of the evolution of modern humans will demonstrate how such theories have attempted to deal with the controversial presence of Neanderthals on the stage formerly believed to be devoted solely to Homo sapiens. This leads, in turn, to discussion of the related theories of what became of Neanderthals and how current research supports the various positions.
In the 1970s, the discovery of early hominid remains in.."
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Jean M. Auel?s "The Clan of the Cave Bear", 2005.
An analysis of Auel's fictional novel about human and Neanderthal pre-history.
1,581 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 1 source, MLA, £ 35.95
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Abstract
This paper takes a look at Auel's novel about the co-existence of two species of man and explains how the book illustrates a number of the differences in the two societies that made one species more adaptable and enduring, becoming modern man.
From the Paper
"In addition to this general premise by which all of the members of the clan must abide, the Cave Bear community is extensively spiritual. Conflicts within the spirit world routinely have consequences for the human world: "Illness and accidents were mysterious manifestations of the war of the spirits, fought on the battleground of the body." (Auel 19). So, disasters, deformities, and everything that is the result of providence is deemed to have some meaning derived from the spirit world. Accordingly, in the interest of not upsetting the spirits, Brun concedes to allow Iza to care for the child; inwardly judging that she will grow tired of such a burden. This is the primary conflict that the child, Ayla, presents to the Clan: she is decidedly not one of them, but numerous signs indicate that she is of spiritual importance-specifically what this importance might be is considerably hidden to them. The sympathy Iza initially holds for Ayla is not altogether explained; she herself fails to understand it. Auel writes, "Iza didn't know why she felt such concern for a child so different from the clan, but she wanted her to live." (Auel 19). Some common motherly bond drew Iza to Ayla's side, and the Neanderthals essentially attributed this to her connection with the spirits-which are often irrational."
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The Emergence Of Modern Humans, 1995.
An anthropological study of 'Homo sapiens sapien's' evolution, society, Neanderthal's extinction and theories.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 7 sources, £ 32.95
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From the Paper
"The Emergence of Modern Humans (Homo sapiens sapiens)
The genus, Homo, originated in Africa. The species, Homo habilis and Homo erectus were characterized by a bipedal gait and an increased brain size. Eventually, members of the genus left Africa to colonize a widespread territory. During the Middle Pleistocene, a more advanced Homo species emerged to succeed H. erectus. Homo sapiens had an even larger brain. This enabled it to further expand the territories originally colonized by H. erectus. Over many thousands of years, different varieties of Homo sapiens evolved. One of the first was the Neanderthal. In addition, a form similar to modern humans, Homo sapiens sapiens also appeared. Approximately, 30,000 years ago, the Neanderthal disappeared. Furthermore, this period marked numerous H. sapiens ..."
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