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Modern homo have uniquely small and flat faces , particularly compared with ourNeanderthalcousins ' notoriously rich face and expectant nose , but the cause for this difference has hedge paleoanthropologists . Now , researcher have determined that human faces arise slowly and stop maturate during early adolescence , whereas Neanderthals ' faces celebrate growing into early adulthood .
" These two human species followed dissimilar developmental trajectories for their facial bones,“Alexandra Schuh , a postdoctoral research worker at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany , tell Live Science .
CT scans of a Neanderthal skull (left) and a modern human skull (right).
In a written report print Monday ( March 24 ) in theJournal of Human Evolution , Schuh and colleagues analyzed the midface realm of 174 skulls ofHomo sapiens , Neanderthals and chimpanzees . By including skulls from individuals throughout puerility and into adulthood , the researchers were able-bodied to investigate facial ontogeny — how the facial bones of the skull grow and grow .
The research worker used two techniques to closely test the skull . First , they created virtual 3D models of the skull and digitalize over 200 landmark on the upper jawbone to look at patterns of growth and development . Then , they undertake microscopical analysis to look for os formation and off-white reabsorption , a normal procedure in ivory remodeling that facilitate the tissue paper retain its structure and military capability .
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" We found that ivory organization is overriding in Neanderthals — from birth on — who develop big and more projecting typeface , " Schuh said . " In line , present - day humans parade importantly higher levels of bone reabsorption . "
The new research showed that both chimpanzees and Neanderthals had expectant , quicker - growing faces , while modern homo have smaller aspect that stop grow sometime during adolescence .
" early development cessation is a classifiable feature of our species , " Schuh said . " We have identified a unique developmental figure insure exclusively inHomo sapiens . "
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expert have put forth legion explanations for why Neanderthals had such large aspect and nose , includingadaptation to a insensate climate , high zip needs , the chewing of problematical foods , and the use of their tooth as tools . explanation for humankind ' modest faces , on the other hand , include theinvention of cookingand gain in brain size .
But the reason humankind evolved these uniquely small faces is a peculiarly complex question in paleoanthropology that has not yet been work out . " However , our study turn to aspects of the ' how , ' " Schuh said , " provide an of import first stair toward understanding these processes . "
Neanderthal quiz: How much do you know about our closest relatives?
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