Neanderthals versus anatomically modern humans

This video explores our relationship to our closest evolutionary relative: Homo neanderthalensis. The story begins approximately 400,000 years ago and continues to the present. We compare this hominin species to modern humans today, while also looking at what gave us the edge to survive.

Writers, editors, film makers, presenters and actors:
Alanna Quinn, Evan Connolly, Sarah Higgins, Lillian Sheridan and Laura Stenson.

Filming locations in Ireland: Geology museum, Zoology museum (both NUI Galway), Salthill beach

Video frames:
• ‘Heavy Snowfall Covering The Ground’ – Laurel Firlotte
• ‘Cultivation Of Land With Tractor’ – Tuur Tisseghem.
• ‘Writing And Erasing On A Sheet Of Paper’ – Free Videos.
• ‘The Art Of Painting’ – Steve Johnson

Picture sources:

If you would like to learn more about Neanderthals, check out the papers and links provided below:

Papers:
• Berger, T. and Trinkaus, E. (1995). Patterns of Trauma among the Neandertals. Journal of Archaeological Science, 22(6), pp.841-852.
• Enard, D. & Petrov, D.A., (2018). Evidence that RNA Viruses Drove Adaptive Introgression between Neanderthals and Modern Humans. Cell, 175(2), pp.360–371.e13.
• Tappen, N. (1985). The dentition of the “old man” of La Chapelle-aux-Saints and inferences concerning Neandertal behavior. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 67(1), pp.43-50.
• Panawala, Lakna. (2017). Difference Between Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens.

Websites:
‘Who were the Neanderthals and how did they compare to us’

FOXP2 Gene and Neanderthal speech information:

[gw]

Caloric requirements were huge for neanderthals, probably unsustainable in climates with smaller animals.

[MarmaladeINFP]

Some context is useful. The modern human skull and brain shrunk with the malnourishment from the agricultural revolution. We humans have not regained the greater size of Paleolithic humans. It would be more useful to compare Neanderthal bones to that of Paleolithic humans.

[dukadarodear]

Very interesting.
A few important differences between us and neanderthals pointed out; smaller frontal cortex, different speech, restricted tool and weapon development and much greater physical strength on the part of neanderthals.
Neanderthals' long-term durability has been proven; that of Homosapiens has yet to be demonstrated.
Suimiúl go bhfuil ráiteas as Gaelige san áireamh.

[robwalsh]

Neanderthals were an amazing people, they are an integral part of the story of human beings.

[jeremyashford]

Your thumbnail is a brilliant illustration of a point that anthropologists have long failed to grasp.

We constantly hear reference to the heavy brow ridge of Neanderthals, but no one offers a suggestion why it was like that.

The reason is that (purebred as distinct from present day hybrid) Neanderthal had a skull shape that could be described as "brain behind face" or "face before brain" whereas anatomically modern humans and the majority of actual modern humans have a "brain over face" or "face under brain" configuration.

Also, Neanderthal had massive eyes in comparison to modern humans and with no braincase directly above the extra bone was needed to protect their orbits.

[josephklein]

good stuff, but uneven audio hard to understand.

[emilyconcannon]

WOW! This is fantastic. I’m so glad kids these days are still interested in such technical aspects of life. Delighted I stumbled across this presentation today. Well done👍🏼

[connoroleary]

They survived in an extremely harsh environment with carnivores much larger than those presently found on earth.

Their tool technology didn't advance as rapidly as ours did, what caused the advance in our technology was probably aggression.
Even today most of our technological advances have been in the pursuit of war.

My guess is that the Neanderthals survived so long by being more peaceable than ourselves.
Their decline and extinction coincided with our arrival, they were no match for our cunning and brutality.

The "interbreeding with communities" was probably forced, after the older men and women of the Neanderthal tribes were dispatched.

[lweller]

Excellent student project! Love the topic as well and looking forward to more!

[katelynconcannon]

Wow such an amazing explanation of what is truly the grounding and development of our existence.

[Astralprojection]

i have two points on the end of my chin...I'm Irish/UK mostly... very neanderthal. Very cool video

[SolracCAP]

Despite being stronger and tougher than us, we outcompeted them in hunting and gathering. We were smarter, more socially cooperative, and much more numerous. Still, they were human like us, just a different kind.

[LordPastaProductions]

Very interesting. Why is it that people always have to find the difference between Neanderthals and us which made us "better adapted for multiple environments" when, logically, it would be more likely to conclude that Neanderthals simply were out populated by homo-sapiens, and bred out. Why do we need to be "better" than them? While we have some evidence that Neanderthals thought in very slightly different ways, it would be irrational to conclude that they went extinct for these small differences, and if they had only thought like us, they would still be around today. Either way, Neanderthals do still exist today, as part of our collective DNA because of our interbreeding, and we will never know if they would still be around had homo-sapiens not evolved. The answer to the question "why are we here and Neanderthals aren't?" is clear. There were just more of us. Why were there more of us? Well probably because there was more food in Africa at the time. Just my thoughts.

[Rokuhley]

I just imagine in 40, 000 years the new development of humans looking at our bones 🦴 and talking about what gave them the advantage 😂

[calamityjane]

The spears that Neanderthals used have been reproduced and when an experienced javelin thrower used them, they were quite deadly at as far as the bows produced in early times.

[matityahubenavraham]

I have the characteristics of a Neanderthal my skull is long I have strong eye arches narrow beard large Roman hook nose very interesting see to restore knowledge

[stefcui]

Why has there been no appreciable difference in human skulls, either by size or shape, after humans mated with Neanderthals and Denisovans? There should be anatomical changes in the human after 50% gene sharing with anatomically different humans. Humans skeletons should demonstrate a before and after from what we looked like before interbreeding and after interbreeding. Love to hear your opinion.

[nitinshanker]

It’s so irritating to live with inclusivity even in videos of such phenomenal scientific stuff

[maximhollandnederlandthene]

Neanderthals still exists !
Look at people and see what changed, actually nothing much.

[barabbasrosebud]

Neanderthals had the intelligence to go extinct.