Neanderthal News
Moderators: MichelleH, Minimalist, JPeters
Re: Neanderthal News
Maybe these guys ran into the remains of a clan of vegans. It's as reasonable to suggest that as to jump to the conclusion that since they ate mostly meat, they probably hunted mammoths. I mean they may have. but nothing in that study indicates specifically that they hunted mammoths. I hate shit like that. Leaping to conclusion is the main reason there is so much confusion and contention in archaeology today. I have spoken!
Re: Neanderthal News
Looks as though their job description has been upgraded as well!Neanderthals likely were skilled hunters
Roy.
First people deny a thing, then they belittle it, then they say it was known all along! Von Humboldt
-
- Forum Moderator
- Posts: 16034
- Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2005 1:09 pm
- Location: Arizona
Re: Neanderthal News
Maybe. Of course Frank might have a point. Perhaps there was a group which specialized in hunting turnips or something. One would probably not even need an atlatl to bring down a turnip.
Something is wrong here. War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption, and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is not good work. If this is the best God can do, I am not impressed.
-- George Carlin
-- George Carlin
Re: Neanderthal News
I was only trying to make a point about conjecture. It's ok to speculate on what "might" have been going on, but to publish that as anything more than speculation is irresponsible. That's what leads to dissension among the experts. Clovis first was a speculation that became accepted as fact and we all know what kind of shit storm that has caused.
Re: Neanderthal News
I've made the same obsrvations Frank regarding, 'cold blooded Dinos', brain size as a reflection of intelligence, non'flying Dactyls.
As Goebbels suggested, tell it often enough and people will believe it.
Roy
As Goebbels suggested, tell it often enough and people will believe it.
Roy
First people deny a thing, then they belittle it, then they say it was known all along! Von Humboldt
-
- Forum Moderator
- Posts: 16034
- Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2005 1:09 pm
- Location: Arizona
Re: Neanderthal News
Yeah and I agree with you. One does not need sharp stone spear points to pick vegetables. I'm sure HNS ate whatever was handy but he seems more like a carnivore than a herbivore.I was only trying to make a point about conjecture.
Something is wrong here. War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption, and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is not good work. If this is the best God can do, I am not impressed.
-- George Carlin
-- George Carlin
Re: Neanderthal News
I am absolutely certain that he was an omnivore. But.....that's only me speculating.
Re: Neanderthal News
Ditto! I flatly refuse to believe that a man will ignore ripe fruit to pursue game that might be available over the next hill!
Roy.
Roy.
First people deny a thing, then they belittle it, then they say it was known all along! Von Humboldt
Re: Neanderthal News
Yep! Not even Runner beans are that fast!
Roy.
Roy.
First people deny a thing, then they belittle it, then they say it was known all along! Von Humboldt
- circumspice
- Posts: 1202
- Joined: Sat Dec 19, 2009 7:10 pm
Re: Neanderthal News
In my not so humble opinion, I believe that any and all hominids ate whatever was available to assuage hunger pangs. It would be terminally stupid to stick to one dietary regime, when there may be more than one food available. Since the accepted "wisdom" is that an organism strives to survive long enough to reproduce, then eating whatever is available to prolong one's life makes sense. (I nearly choked on the euphemism "USO"... What, are the terms roots and tubers no longer acceptable? lol) 

"Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. It is easy for the weak to be gentle. Most people can bear adversity. But if you wish to know what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test." ~ Robert G. Ingersoll
"Damn with faint praise, assent with civil leer, and, without sneering, teach the rest to sneer." ~ Alexander Pope
"Damn with faint praise, assent with civil leer, and, without sneering, teach the rest to sneer." ~ Alexander Pope
-
- Forum Moderator
- Posts: 16034
- Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2005 1:09 pm
- Location: Arizona
Re: Neanderthal News
In the Crete thread is a Nat Geo article which makes this point about Homo Erectus 750,000 years ago.
If HE figured out that fish were good why would he pass up an apple or a root. These people were capable of surviving in a very hostile environment. I'm certain that they left no stone unturned to do so."One of the highlights of our report is that people ate fish more than 750,000 years ago," Goren-Inbar said.
The encampment, located on an ancient lakeshore, holds some of the earliest evidence of fish eating ever found, according to the study, published in the journal Science. Bones at the site suggest a now extinct, yard-long (meter-long) carp species was a common meal, for example.
Something is wrong here. War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption, and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is not good work. If this is the best God can do, I am not impressed.
-- George Carlin
-- George Carlin
Re: Neanderthal News
HE's primary habitat and food source, and so determining his migration routes, was the waterline. The coastlines of that era! Now well under water, and far out to sea.
Shellfish, crabs, mussels, octopi, little fish in ebbtide ponds, the waterline was/is dependably year round abundant with protein rich food. It just needs to be picked up. 'Gathered'. Hardly impaired by seasons. An activity in which the whole family group could partake, old and young, with relatively little physical dangers, as compared to the extremely risky business of big game hunting on the plains.
On the landside all kinds of roots, fruits, and berries could be found (for dietary variation; homo was an omnivore, then and now). So those hominin may have been "hunter/gatherers", but I'll bet you a grand they were 95% gatherer, and just 5% hunter!
And fresh water came from streams, brooks, and rivers emptying in the sea. Streams, brooks, and rivers that also forced HE to learn to cross them. A growing know-how that eventually developed into sailing. As in boats...
Coastlines were HE's highways.
And Meganthropus paleojavanicus is proof that HE knew about sailing before 1,57 mya.
Unless he walked to Java across dry land, of course.
He was an enterprising and crafty ol' geezer, our Gramps:

Shellfish, crabs, mussels, octopi, little fish in ebbtide ponds, the waterline was/is dependably year round abundant with protein rich food. It just needs to be picked up. 'Gathered'. Hardly impaired by seasons. An activity in which the whole family group could partake, old and young, with relatively little physical dangers, as compared to the extremely risky business of big game hunting on the plains.
On the landside all kinds of roots, fruits, and berries could be found (for dietary variation; homo was an omnivore, then and now). So those hominin may have been "hunter/gatherers", but I'll bet you a grand they were 95% gatherer, and just 5% hunter!
And fresh water came from streams, brooks, and rivers emptying in the sea. Streams, brooks, and rivers that also forced HE to learn to cross them. A growing know-how that eventually developed into sailing. As in boats...
Coastlines were HE's highways.
And Meganthropus paleojavanicus is proof that HE knew about sailing before 1,57 mya.
Unless he walked to Java across dry land, of course.

He was an enterprising and crafty ol' geezer, our Gramps:

Last edited by Rokcet Scientist on Tue Feb 23, 2010 4:01 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Re: Neanderthal News
You may be speculating, Frank, but science isn't: HN was an omnivore, just like HS(S) was/is. And we/they (the scientists) know that for damn sure because his dentures show it clearly. Apart from regional variations HN was exactly the same as HS(S) is, in that respect.Frank Harrist wrote:I am absolutely certain that he was an omnivore. But.....that's only me speculating.
Re: Neanderthal News
???? He's hardly got any left, for one thing. For another, absent the effect of silica grit on said dentation from grinding seeds and such, would the difference between a lifetime spent eating meat and a lifetime of eating carrots show up in wear differences ? Tooth enamel is apatite (neat name, no ?), Mohs hardness 6.5his dentures show it clearly