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Right handed Neandertals: Vindija and beyond
David W Frayer1, Ivana Fiore, Carles Lalueza-Fox
1Department of Anthropology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, USA. frayer@ku.edu
Journal of Anthropological Sciences = Rivista Di Antropologia : JASS
|September 14, 2010
Summary
Neanderthal teeth reveal tool use and right-handedness, suggesting complex behaviors similar to modern humans. These findings indicate Neanderthals possessed advanced cognitive and linguistic capacities.
Area of Science:
- Paleoanthropology
- Archaeology
- Human Evolution
Background:
- Neanderthal behavior and cognitive abilities are subjects of ongoing research.
- Handedness in hominins provides insights into brain lateralization and behavioral complexity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze scratch patterns on Neanderthal teeth from Vindija, Croatia.
- To infer non-masticatory activities and hand preference in late Neanderthals.
Main Methods:
- Microscopic analysis of oblique scratches on anterior teeth (incisors and canines).
- Comparison of scratch patterns with known behaviors and handedness ratios in fossil hominins and modern humans.
Main Results:
- A distinctive pattern of oblique scratches on the labial faces of incisors and canines was identified.
- These scratches indicate hand-directed, non-masticatory activities, predominantly performed with the right hand.
- European Neanderthals exhibit a high frequency of right-handedness (88.2%), similar to modern humans, extending back over 500,000 years.
Conclusions:
- Neanderthals engaged in complex, tool-assisted behaviors, demonstrating significant manual dexterity.
- The prevalence of right-handedness in Neanderthals suggests a shared evolutionary trajectory in brain lateralization and potentially language capabilities with Homo sapiens.
- Evidence, including FOXP2 gene possession, supports the hypothesis that Neanderthals had linguistic capacities comparable to modern humans.
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