Prehistoric Jewelry Reveals Neanderthal Fashion Sense

[eleny]

At Discovery News...

"Pigment-stained seashells, likely worn as necklaces by Neanderthals, suggest these early Europeans were not only stylish, but that they were also just as smart and crafty as humans in Africa were, according to a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The colorful mollusk shells, which date to 50,000 years ago, were recently found in Murcia Province, Spain. Since the shells were painted 10,000 years before modern humans are believed to have settled in Europe, this leaves little doubt that Neanderthals made the still eye-catching pieces.

Although most of the stained shells were perforated, the researchers think the holes occurred naturally, and that Neanderthals preferentially gathered the necklace-ready objects on nearby beaches.

A paint cup and ground up coloring agents were also found near the stained shells. One particularly well-preserved shell had a natural red coloration on one side while its reverse was painted with an orange pigment made out of the minerals goethite and hematite."

http://news.discovery.com/archaeology/neanderthal-jewerly-fashion-seashells.html

[ZeitgeistObserver]

1. We are 99.5% identical in our DNA.

Same levels of development too. Interesting.

[eleny]

2. And to think that people use "Neanderthal" as a pejorative

[ZeitgeistObserver]

3. Dissing some of our ancestors likely.

Not a good thing.

[ZeitgeistObserver]

4. Look what I just found.

We may all be a little bit Neanderthal as study finds species interbred twice with humans
By David Derbyshire

Last updated at 4:34 PM on 22nd April 2010


It won't come as a surprise to anyone wandering around Britain's city centres late on a Friday night. But scientists have discovered that most people have a little bit of Neanderthal man in them.

A major DNA study suggests that our ancestors interbred with the Neanderthals at least twice tens of thousands of years ago - and that their genes have been carried down the millennia ever since.

The discovery adds to the mystery surrounding the Neanderthals, an offshoot of the human family tree who vanished in Europe around 25,000 years ago.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1268003/Neanderthals-humans-interbred-twice-scientists.html#ixzz0lsL6VCF0


I've been reading up on everything I could find on the Brit election, and ran across this. Timely, no? :)

[eleny]

6. I read somewhere that redheads might be people who have some Neander dna

And yes, a good and timely find. :fistbump:

[UTUSN]

5. ...

[eleny]

7. I didn't realize before but it looks like one of those pictures....

You know, the ones that ask if you see a face or a vase. :D

[Whisp]

8. It's called the HorseShack test...

which was discovered during a filming of the series Welcome Back, Kotter.

i keed. ;)

[eleny]

9. Snap!

[Tutankhamun]

10. Wow! I wonder if people fully understand the significance of these findings.

I mean, aside from the obvious scientific relevance and what this says about human evolution and our genes. What I'm getting at is that this means people (H. Sapiens) actually DID neanderthals. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeew! :-)

Next thing we know, even Rush Limbaugh will have a girlfriend.