Jan Bartek - AncientPages.com - We may never know the thoughts and emotions of our long-gone ancestors. Still, we can gain plenty of other valuable information based on archaeological discoveries and DNA studies. It is also fascinating to see what the ancient human species may have looked like. Has evolution changed us much?
Facial reconstruction of a Neanderthal who lived 56,000 years ago in France. Credit:Cícero Moraes et al
Using ancient human remains found by priests in Bouffia Bonneval, La Chapella-aux-Saints, France, in 1908, experts have reconstructed the face of a Neanderthal who lived in the area 56,000 years ago.
Based on fossil analysis, scientists concluded he was an old man who suffered from severe periodontal disease, a gum infection found in mammals, which experts believe 'could be one of the first documented cases of zoonotic infectious disease spillover.
His skull was well-preserved and allowed scientists to conclude our ancient human cousin displayed many 'classic' Neanderthal traits, "including a large, continuous brow ridge; a broad nasal aperture; a long and egg-shaped foramen magnum; a relatively flat cranial base (vs. modern humans); small mastoid processes; a long and low cranium; and large orbits,' according to eFossils.
The facial reconstruction of the French Neanderthal was created by Cícero Moraes, a Brazilian graphic expert who "used computed tomography (CT) scans of the ancient skull and compared them to human craniums in a database with similar measurements to fill in the blanks," the Daily Mail reports.
The Neanderthal also lacked several teeth, which is one of the reasons why he earned the nickname the "old man."
"The fossil is often referred to as an 'old man' because he was suffering from severe periodontal disease and joint degeneration or arthritis.
The ability of this individual to survive such severe ailments indicates that he probably had help from others," Moraes explained.
"We generated two images, one more objective with just the bust in sepia tone without hair and another more speculative [and] colorful with a beard and hair.
This image shows how Neanderthals were similar to us, but at the same time, they were different, with more obvious peculiarities such as the absence of a chin, for example.
Credit:Cícero Moraes et al
Even so, it is impossible not to look at the image and try to imagine what that individual's life was like thousands of years ago," Moraes told Live Science.
Facial reconstructions of Neanderthals can differ greatly depending on where the individual lived, how old he or she was when they died, and how healthy they were.
See also: More Archaeology News
It is much easier to produce a facial reconstruction of Neanderthals than Denisovans due to the number of ancient remains that have been uncovered. Not so long ago, scientists managed to show what Denisovans looked like.
Whether Neanderthals or Denisovans, some traits offer evidence our long-gone ancestors resembled us.
Written by Jan Bartek - AncientPages.com Staff Writer
