With their prominent noses, protruding faces and swept-back cheekbones, Neanderthals were nothing if not striking. Now researchers say they have unpicked why our big-browed cousins had such distinctive features.
Previous research has suggested a number of possible explanations for Neanderthals’ facial shape, including that it enabled a forceful bite with the front teeth – a theory based on their relatively large incisors and signs of tooth wear.
“As well as the processing of food, it looks like they were using their teeth [for] gripping as a third hand, and that of course would put a lot of force on the front of the jawbone,” said Dr Chris Stringer, head of human origins at the Natural History Museum in London and a co-author of the new study.
But the study appears to rule out that theory, instead supporting other explanations for Neanderthals’ facial structure, including that it provided an efficient way to warm and moisten cold, dry air and move large volumes of air through the nasal passage. Such heavy breathing, the researchers say, could also be an adaptation to cold climates or prove a boon for an energetic lifestyle, noting that it is thought Neanderthals used up to 4,480 calories a day in finding food during the winter and keeping warm.
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