Neanderthal: Brain Function

As a student of anthropology, I am intensely obsessed with the Neanderthal. For the most part, anthropology and the Neanderthal (also spelled Neandertal) pretty much go hand in hand. There really is no escaping it. Every anthro student, at one time or another, desires to unravel the mystery of why such an amazing species ultimately reached complete extinction 28,000 to 30,000 years ago. It just doesn't make sense. They were intelligent. They fashioned tools. They may have even buried and mourned over their dead. And, if they did mourn and bury their dead, this surely means they must have had religion.

Think about that.

At any rate, a new study has possibly shed some light on the mysterious Neanderthal. According to a new theory by H. Lee Seldon, "Neanderthals likely did not possess the cognitive complexities of modern humans and, as a result, probably did not suffer from schizophrenia and certain other mental disorders" (Viegas).

Now, I know very little about schizophrenia. Further, admittedly, I know very little about brain functioning, psychology, or even anthropology. I am only a second-year student. My fascination with the subject hardly makes me an expert. Still, I am beginning to seriously question many of these claims that continue to maintain the Neanderthal were not as complex as ourselves.

Why do we make these assumptions?

Because, honestly, what we are dealing with here is a species--some say a subspecies--that lived, breathed, and walked this planet for approximately 200,000 years. In the face of a 4.5 billion year old earth, this may seem like very little, but, for myself, and my small frame of reference, this is an awfully long time. They were successful and must have been quite adept at survival. Again, they fashioned tools. And, with this, there must have been a complex, social dynamic to the way the Neanderthal did business and interacted with each other and the world around them.

So, again, why do we make these assumptions?

I realize, in the interest of science and objectivity, it is crucial we stick with the facts. I simply can't come forth with a few romantic notions and state they are legitimate or should be accepted. They shouldn't be. However, what I am asking for here, and, I guess the point of this article, is to give the old Neanderthal the benefit of the doubt. Give them a chance to measure up. Our species simply is not the end all, be all, of evolution, folks. I don't think it is too far out on a limb to open our minds to the possibility that there may have been a creature, although a bit different, that was also able to contemplate its own survival and, unfortunately, its own demise. Yes, perhaps, we will never see this in the archaeological record. Yes, we have to stick with what we find and see and are able to observe. This is how science and archaeology works.

Nevertheless, please realize, so many amazing things remain hidden to us. And, who is to say, a complex thought was there but never recorded. Due to the age of the evidence we are discovering, is it possible to see a Neanderthal thought? An idea? I am not so sure it is.

The Neanderthal did exist.

For now, I guess I will have to be content with that.

Works Cited
Viegas, Jennifer. "Study: Neanderthal Brain Less Troubled." Discovery News. http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/06/08/neanderthal_arc.html?category=archaeology&\1guid=20070608090000