Neanderthal geographical and chronological variation

Abstract

There is now a reasonable sample of human fossils from the European Middle and beginning Upper Pleistocene. However, our ability to fully understand their evolutionary relationships and the part they played in the ancestry of the Neanderthals remains uncertain. Part of the reason for this is the fragmentary nature of many of the finds, with fossils preserving different anatomical features, making detailed anatomical comparisons difficult or impossible. An equally important obstacle to our knowledge of this part of human biological history are the often difficult to interpret and conflicting dates that have been obtained for many of these finds. Nevertheless, a number of fossils, including the sizable sample from the Sima de los Huesos, testify to the European ancestry of the Neanderthals, although the possible presence and gen-flow from groups of Asian or maybe African origins cannot be excluded. At present, our knowledge on the Neanderthals must consider the huge geographic area where they have been identified, the chronological span throughout more than 140 ky, and the very diverse environments to which they adapted. The second part of this chapter is the summary of the main points about the Neanderthal variability and biodynamics.