Anthropology (2) 175-word discussions Due on 10/6 at 1159am *must be original.

Paleoanthropology: Archaic Homo sapiens and Anatomically Modern Humans Reading: Textbook Chapter 12: The Origins, Evolution, and dispersal of Modern People Lecture X (from slide 41) and Lecture XI (under “Files”) Assignment #12 - The first Neanderthal fossils recognized to be from a pre-human Ice Age population were discovered in 1856 by quarrymen working in Feldhofer Cave in the Neander Valley, Germany. They were presented to a local schoolteacher, Johann Carl Fuhlrott, who recognized their pre-historic origin and human-like skeletal morphology. Fuhlrott, in collaboration with anatomist and anthropologist Hermann Schaaffhausen, presented their interpretation of the specimen and its archaeological context in papers published in 1858 & 1859. Fuhlrott and Schaaffhausen’s hypothesis that the specimen was that of “a barbarous and savage race” that lived in Germany during the glacial period met with much criticism. The accepted history of the area and the theological explanation of human origins couldn’t make room for an Ice Age “caveman” in Germany. Since that time, scholars, artists, & filmmakers have created reconstructions of what they imagine Neanderthals to have looked like. Beyond informing us about the appearance of this Ice Age population, these reconstructions tell us something about ourselves and our willingness (or lack thereof) to acknowledge our close connection to these "cavemen" (and "cavewomen"). The reconstructions influenced academic research and public opinion. Throughout much of the 20th century, Neanderthals were considered to have been stupid brutes. You can see it in how they were depicted - both in terms of their bodies and their behavior (See table below). Then in 2010, the new science of ancient DNA rocked the world with the news that the Neanderthal genome had been sequenced. It was quickly compared with the modern human genome that had been fully sequenced only seven years earlier. The comparison revealed that for all people alive today, somewhere between 1 - 3% of their DNA can be traced to a Neanderthal ancestor. What does this mean about who the Neanderthals were? Beginning c. 100,000 years ago anatomically modern humans began sporadic small scale migrations out of Africa and c. 70,000 ago a larger scale migration north into Neanderthal territory began. The two populations met, interbred, and conceived babies that would go on to pass Neanderthal genetic variants on to future generations. Today, one of the popular at-home DNA testing companies can even tell you how many Neanderthal genes are hidden in your personal genome. Neanderthals don't seem so stupid anymore. If our human ancestors interbred with them, then there must have been some level of connection, some relatability. This revelation has shed new light on Neanderthal anatomy and culture. Today, new reconstructions are less ape-like and more modern human-like. All Neanderthal archaeological deposits excavated during the last century are now being reevaluated in light of our current understanding of their close genetic and social relationships with early modern humans. Reconstructions of Neanderthals over the Past 160 Years 1873 1909 1953 1990 2010 Twin brothers Adrie and Alfons Kennis are among the current generation of artists who are bringing our hominin ancestors back to life. Watch the video below to witness the re-birth of two Gibraltar Neanderthals, nicknamed Nana & Flint. Each Kennis & Kennis hominin reconstruction has a personality that draws the viewer in and makes them relatable. The making of 'Nana & Flint' (Links to an external site.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=19&v=hG3ce4JN0SU&feature=emb_logo (7 mins.) Optional: Read about the Kennis Brothers in the Guardian article Meet the ancestors… the two brothers creating lifelike figures of early man (Links to an external site.) https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/may/05/meet-the-ancestors-two-brothers-lifelike-figures-early-man-adrie-and-alfons-kennis Explore the Kennis Brothers' Website: Kennis & Kennis Reconstructions (Links to an external site.) https://www.kenniskennis.com/site/Home/ Assignment Prompt: Go online and find a depiction of a hominin species (NOT a monkey or ape species) from popular culture - a museum reconstruction, a fictional book character - for either adults or children, a "caveman"-related film, artwork, a video game, an advertisement, etc. It can be any species of hominin - Australopithecus to Homo. Before you choose your image, review the discussion board to see what other students have already posted. The goal is for each student to post different images, from different source types. Points will be deducted from your grade if your duplicate the source of an image. Into the discussion board reply box, insert a good quality photo of your hominin reconstruction. Internet sourced photos can be added by copying the image location (URL) and using the Embed Image tool that appears above the box (mark the image as ‘decorative’). If you are having trouble uploading the image, send me an email with the URL or file attached and I can help troubleshoot. Below the photo, tell the class about the image source - the year of production, what type of media is it from, and which species do you think is depicted. Analyze the hominin depiction: Which stereotypes, both biological and behavioral, are evident in your chosen hominin depiction? Also, tell us what about the hominin depiction led you to choose it for this assignment. In the primate unit your learned how to properly format scientific genus and species names. You should apply what you have learned to this assignment. Your paragraph should be no shorter than 150 words. Feel free to 'Like' and/or respond to other student's posts. GO TO “DISCUSSIONS” TO POST YOUR IMAGE & DESCRIPTION. April 2020 News Flash: This is the oldest known string. It was made by a Neandertal (Links to an external site.) A SEM photo closeup of fibers twisted into string by Neanderthals, c. 52,000 years ago. Neanderthal 3-ply twisted cord made of bark fibers recovered from a stone tool blade. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/neandertal-made-oldest-known-string Assignment #13 Homo sapiens and the Emergence of Symbolic Representation Take a virtual tour of Lascaux Cave (Links to an external site.) (3 mins.) in southwestern France. https://vimeo.com/40849516 Then Read: The Guardian article (12 Dec 2019): Humans were not centre stage’: how ancient cave art puts us in our place (Links to an external site.) https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2019/dec/12/humans-were-not-centre-stage-ancient-cave-art-painting-lascaux-chauvet-altamira Warning: Early in the article there is a criticism of President Trump as narcissistic. Please don't let this stop you from reading the article. The author is really using this opinion and our current 'selfie culture' to create a contrast between 21st-century human society and that of our Paleolithic ancestors. While the article is relatively long, it is very interesting and worth the read. After reading the article, focus in on a point or points that piqued your interest. There are many to choose from: the detailed depiction of animal species that were rarely on the menu, the rare appearance of humanoids as crude stick figures, the contrast between animal-centric Paleolithic art and human-centric modern artistic representation, the exciting nature of the Lascaux Cave's discovery, the suggestion that the production of the paintings would have involved a community of collaborating individuals, etc. Or you can address the quintessential question, "What does it mean?" Is the magico-religious interpretation satisfying to you or does it fall short? One point that is only briefly mentioned in the article is the presence of humans in Paleolithic art in the form of hand stencils. What is interesting about these hand stencils is that they are found, in relatively similar forms and produced by similar techniques, not only in European caves but also in Eastern Asia and South America.