There seems to be some further evidence for high organizational and
planning capability on the part of Neanderthals. An online news item
reported that a study being published in Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences shows that they were almost entirely carnivorous. A
study of the 15N isotopic ratio, which reflects trophic level, found that
late Neanderthal bones had ratios similar to modern lions. The online
article had a lot of commentary on how this will change our views of
Neanderthals, but I spotted some inaccuracies, so I am not sure how
reliable it is and have not looked up the original. The ability to
successfully hunt big game was seen as evidence of high mental abilities.
In contrast, early modern humans seem to have been more omnivorous, eating
small animals and plants in addition to big game. It was suggested that
the lesser dietary flexibility might have put the Neanderthals at a
disadvantage. Contrary to the online article, their brains were bigger on
average than ours, so this is not so surprising as the reporter was making
it out to be.
David C.
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