David Hobby wrote:
> It is an interesting idea: Neanderthals, though intelligent,
> were adapted for a low-tech, cold weather evolutionary niche.
> So maybe they were a different species--the debate goes on.
> > Because dental growth is an excellent indicator of somatic
> > development, our results suggest that Neanderthals developed
> > faster even than their immediate ancestor, H. heidelbergensis.
> > Dental growth became longer and brain size increased from the
> > Plio-Pleistocene in hominid evolution. Neanderthals, despite
> > having a large brain, were characterized by a short period of
> > development. This autapomorphy in growth is an evolutionary
> > reversal, and points strongly to a specific distinction
> > between H. sapiens and H. neanderthalensis.
So Neanderthals really did "live fast and die young". I guess
since their creative, neotonous childhoods were so short, they
wouldn't have had a chance to develop the kind of mental
flexibility modern humans have. I've also seen speculation that
they couldn't develop much culture, because they didn't have
enough old people for oral tradition to start. If they grew up
quickly, they may have also aged quickly, which would support
that theory.
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