Firefly Dreams at Sea
Homo sapiens neanderthalensis evolved from powerfully-built Homo erectus groups in the Middle East and Europe. By about 120,000 years ago, two clearly distinct species had evolved. Neanderthal man was not some prehistoric Rambo; he was an intelligent individual, the first human who managed to survive on a continent growing colder by the decade. Neanderthals were the first Europeans.
The first of our species in europe - Homo sapiens sapiens - suffered greater hardship than the Neanderthals. When the species emerged 40,000 years ago, the last Ice Age was approaching its zenith. It was then that early humans began settling the previously unpopulated continents of Australia and America. Homo sapiens sapiens reached Australia by boat. Coming from Siberia, the settlers crossed to America via the Bering land bridge. For during the Ice Age, many of the world's oceans had frozen to form glaciers. As a result, the sea level fell, temporarily revealing a land link across the Bering Strait between Siberia and Alaska.
About 24,500 years ago a three to five year old child was buried by other humans under a rock shelter in Portugal. They laid the small body on its back and strewed red ocher over it. The bones are morphologically classified as a hybrid beween modern humans and Neanderthals. Was the child the descendant of a crossbreed population?
Homo sapiens neanderthalensis
The human brain is the most costly, active and the most complex organ in the human body. In the case of the modern human being, the range of variation of size lies between 950 cubic cm and 2,000 cubic cm. Neanderthals had a larger brain with an average size of 1,500 cubic cm. Approximately 100 billion neurons are active in the human brain. Biochemical and mental/psychic processes are closely related and can be pinpointed in the brain. However, by what rules the different sections of the brain actually work together remains largely unknown. The enormous ability for adaptation and learning aptitude of the brain are amazing. Up until old age it can constantly rearrange itself through internal or external impulses.
Location of the discovery of the first Neanderthal bones
Modern humans share 98.4% of their genetic material with chimpanzees. Speciation from a common ancestor occurred approximately 6.3 million years ago (1). Following differentiation emerged 4 million years ago the hominids genus Australopithecus, which was bipedal, had a brain 35% the volume of modern humans, stood 1.2-1.4 m tall, and went extinct 2 million years ago. Debate exists over whether robust australopiths constitute their own genus, Paranthropus, distinct from gracile australopiths. Robust australopiths sport gorilla-like cranial crests supporting fierce mastication muscles and a brain larger than that of the gracile australophiths but smaller than Homo species. Evolving from australopithecine ancestors appeared the species of the Homo genus approximately 2.4 million years ago first with Homo habilis, or “handy man,” the first to use stone tools. Cranial capacity increased from 450 cc in Australopithecus garhi to 600 cc in H. habilis.
1.8 million years ago, Homo erectus marked a critical point arising as the first to use fire, create complex tools and look after members of their kind. The discovery of KNM-ER 1808, a 1.7 million year old female H. erectus revealed course-woven bone, speculated to be caused by hypervitaminosis A, resulting from consumption of carnivore liver. The bone growth showed she must have lived with the disease for an enduring time leading to the striking conclusion that someone looked after her, an indication of tenderness and affection in human evolution (2).
Between 400,000 to 30,000 years ago lived Homo neanderthalensis. Mapping of the Neanderthal genome provides evidence of interbreeding between modern humans (Homo sapien sapiens) and Neanderthals. 1-4% of non-African genetic data derives from Neanderthal’s (3). Competition with modern humans may have lead to the extinction of Neanderthals. The first specimen was discovered 1856 in Neander Valley, Germany. Coincidentally Neander means “new man” in Greek.
1.8 million years ago, Homo erectus marked a critical point arising as the first to use fire, create complex tools and look after members of their kind. The discovery of KNM-ER 1808, a 1.7 million year old female H. erectus revealed course-woven bone, speculated to be caused by hypervitaminosis A, resulting from consumption of carnivore liver. The bone growth showed she must have lived with the disease for an enduring time leading to the striking conclusion that someone looked after her, an indication of tenderness and affection in human evolution (2).
Between 400,000 to 30,000 years ago lived Homo neanderthalensis. Mapping of the Neanderthal genome provides evidence of interbreeding between modern humans (Homo sapien sapiens) and Neanderthals. 1-4% of non-African genetic data derives from Neanderthal’s (3). Competition with modern humans may have lead to the extinction of Neanderthals. The first specimen was discovered 1856 in Neander Valley, Germany. Coincidentally Neander means “new man” in Greek.
January 1, 2012: New Year's
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I tell you: one must have still chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star. I say unto you: you still have chaos in yourself. Friedrich Nietzsche
They rode out on the high prarie and slowed the horeses to a walk and the stars swarmed around them out of the blackness. They heard somewhere in that tenentless night a bell that tolled and ceased where no bell was. They rode out on the round dias of the earth which alone was dark and no light to it. And which carried them and bore them up into the swarming stars so they rode, not under them, but among them. And they rode at once both jaunty and circumspect, like thieves newly loosed in that dark electric. Like young thieves in a glowing orchard, loosely jacketed against the cold and ten thousand worlds for the choosing.
Cormac McCarthy
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