關于尼安德特人的10個令人驚訝的事實

關于尼安德特人的10個令人驚訝的事實

The misconception of Neanderthals as stooped, brutish, hairy and dumb comes primarily from our preconceived notions. Indeed, even the first skeletal reconstruction of a Neanderthal, which was hunched and bent at the knees, turned out to be the result of French paleontologist Macellin Boule using bones from an old male Neanderthal with severe arthritis blended with Boule's expectation that Neanderthals were more apelike than human-like.

對尼安德特人駝背、粗野、多毛和愚蠢的誤解主要來自我們先入為主的觀念。事實上,即使第一個尼安德特人的骨骼重建,縮成一團,膝蓋彎曲,原來是法國的結果古生物學家Macellin議會利用老男尼安德特人的骨頭患有嚴重關節(jié)炎與議會混合的期望,尼安德特人比人類更像猿猴。

Neanderthals were more like us than many people realize. (Photo: Procy/Shutterstock)

But research from 2018 shows this long-held belief that Neanderthals are hunched-over brutes is wrong. An international team of scientists analyzed the skeleton of a Neanderthal man using CT scans and discovered the spine was straighter than that of modern-day humans. Also, the skeleton had a wider, lower thorax and a horizontal-shaped rib cage — suggesting Neanderthals had a greater lung capacity and breathed primarily using their diaphragm. Therefore, researchers concluded Neanderthals had better posture and breathed differently than humans.

但2018年的研究表明，長期以來認為尼安德特人是駝背野獸的觀點是錯誤的。一個國際科學家團隊利用CT掃描技術分析了一名尼安德特人的骨骼，發(fā)現(xiàn)他的脊柱比現(xiàn)代人的脊柱更直。此外，這具骨架有一個更寬、更低的胸腔和一個水平狀的胸腔——這表明尼安德特人有更大的肺活量，主要通過橫膈膜呼吸。因此，研究人員得出結論，尼安德特人姿勢更好，呼吸方式也與人類不同。

Additionally, a team from the University of Zurich’s Evolutionary Morphology Group discovered in January 2019 that Neanderthals had a curved lower back and necksimilar to humans. Researchers used a computer model to reconstruct a Neanderthal's posture and also uncovered that they had a sacrum, a bone between the hip bones, just like humans too.

此外，來自蘇黎世大學進化形態(tài)學小組的一個團隊在2019年1月發(fā)現(xiàn)，尼安德特人有著與人類相似的彎曲下背部和頸部。研究人員使用計算機模型重建了尼安德特人的姿勢，同時發(fā)現(xiàn)他們也有骶骨，髖骨之間的一塊骨頭，就像人類一樣。

Even though we now know the errors in thinking that went into that first reconstruction, it still went a long way toward setting the stage for our "primitive" cousin. However, it turns out that Neanderthals were smart, strong, capable cousins who were far more like humans than you might suspect.

盡管我們現(xiàn)在知道了第一次重建過程中思維上的錯誤，但在為我們的“原始”表親搭建舞臺方面，仍有很長的路要走。然而，事實證明尼安德特人是聰明、強壯、能干的表親，他們比你想象的更像人類。

We know this because of several facts that have come to light in recent decades, and these discoveries are changing the old but persistent falsehood that Neanderthals were our dumb, lesser cousins. Turns out they were the equals of modern humans in many ways. Here are a few things you might not know.

我們之所以知道這一點，是因為近幾十年來，一些事實浮出了表面，而這些發(fā)現(xiàn)正在改變尼安德特人曾是我們愚蠢的近親的古老而又頑固的錯誤觀念。事實證明，他們在很多方面與現(xiàn)代人是平等的。下面是一些你可能不知道的事情。

1. Neanderthals buried their dead and left grave markers.

尼安德特人埋葬他們的死者并留下墓碑。

A reconstruction of a Neanderthal who lived some 50,000 years ago, by Italian scientist Fabio Fogliazza. (Photo: Cesar Manso/AFP/Getty Images)

2. Neanderthals were artists.

尼安德特人是藝術家。

This ladder-shaped drawing from La Pasiega cave in Spain, featuring horizontal and vertical red lines, was made by Neanderthals more than 64,000 years ago. (Photo: P. Saura)

3. Neanderthals knew how to control fire.

尼安德特人知道如何控制火。

Evidence from Neanderthal tools and living sites show they had controlled the use of fire. (Photo: Alexandr Shevchenko/Shutterstock)

4. Neanderthals were extremely skilled hunters.

尼安德特人是技藝高超的獵人。

This flint spearhead, made by a Neanderthal roughly 35,000 years ago, was found near a mammoth skeleton in France. (Photo: Loic Venance/AFP/Getty Images)

5. Neanderthals shared genetic traits with woolly mammoths.

尼安德特人與長毛猛犸象有共同的基因特征。

Woolly mammoths were a key source of food and resources for Neanderthals. (Photo: Flying Puffin [CC SA 2.0]/Wikimedia Commons)

6. Humans didn't wait long to breed with Neanderthals.

人類沒過多久就與尼安德特人繁衍后代。

7. Mating with Neanderthals was bad for our health.

與尼安德特人交配對我們的健康有害。

A modern human skull (left) compared with the skull of a Neanderthal. (Photo: hairymuseummatt [CC SA 2.0]/Wikimedia Commons)

8. Neanderthals looked after sick and elderly family members.

尼安德特人照顧生病和年老的家庭成員。

A recreation of a Neanderthal on display at the Natural History Museum in London. (Photo: Paul Hudson [CC by 2.0]/Flickr)

9. Neanderthals had loud, high-pitched voices.

尼安德特人有響亮的高音。

10. Neanderthals faded amid climate change and 'species drift.'

尼安德特人在氣候變化和“物種漂移”中逐漸消失。

Romania's Rodna Mountains were once home to Neanderthals, and stalagmites from caves in this region are helping scientists study the role of climate change in the species' extinction. (Photo: Gavrila Stetco [CC SA 3.0]/Wikimedia Commons)