Study suggests Neanderthals were separate species from modern humans


New research suggests that Neanderthals may not have been a sub-species of modern humans, as was previously believed.
The study, led by SUNY Downstate Medical Center and published in The Anatomical Record, identifies new evidence that Neanderthals were a separate species from Homo sapiens.
Scientists studied the Neanderthal nasal complex and found that it "was not adaptively inferior to that of modern humans," Phys.org reports. The researchers suggest that the Neanderthals' extinction may be because they were competing with modern humans, not because their noses couldn't adapt to cold, dry climates.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Previous research has compared Neanderthal noses to those of Inuits and modern Europeans, who adapted to the cold and dry climates, but the new study suggests that scientists were approaching the nasal complex "from the wrong perspective," Phys.org notes. The Neanderthal nose possessed "a mosaic of features not found among any population of Homo sapiens." The findings led the researchers to conclude that Neanderthals were a different species entirely, and they may have had other adaptations to combat the cold.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.
-
Hostile architecture is 'hostile — to everybody'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Why are federal judges criticizing SCOTUS?
Today's Big Question Supreme Court issues Trump case rulings 'with little explanation'
-
September 8 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Monday’s political cartoons include Donald Trump booed at the U.S. Open, a hidden message in the Epstein Files and a new bird in Florida
-
SpaceX breaks Starship losing streak in 10th test
speed read The Starship rocket's test flight was largely successful, deploying eight dummy satellites during its hour in space
-
Rabbits with 'horns' sighted across Colorado
speed read These creatures are infected with the 'mostly harmless' Shope papilloma virus
-
Lithium shows promise in Alzheimer's study
Speed Read Potential new treatments could use small amounts of the common metal
-
Scientists discover cause of massive sea star die-off
Speed Read A bacteria related to cholera has been found responsible for the deaths of more than 5 billion sea stars
-
'Thriving' ecosystem found 30,000 feet undersea
Speed Read Researchers discovered communities of creatures living in frigid, pitch-black waters under high pressure
-
New York plans first nuclear plant in 36 years
Speed Read The plant, to be constructed somewhere in upstate New York, will produce enough energy to power a million homes
-
Dehorning rhinos sharply cuts poaching, study finds
Speed Read The painless procedure may be an effective way to reduce the widespread poaching of rhinoceroses
-
Breakthrough gene-editing treatment saves baby
speed read KJ Muldoon was healed from a rare genetic condition