It's often said that Neanderthal noses were ideal for living in cold weather, but this popular belief may need some elaboration thanks to new fossil evidence. Neanderthals, who lived in the colder climates of Europe and Asia, had higher and wider noses than modern humans. But scientists say the real key is in the inner nose, which they believe contains special devices for handling cold air.
According to a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesWithNeanderthal noses may not have been that special after all. By studying the internal structures of the nose of Homo Altamura, a Neanderthal skeleton native to southern Italy, researchers did not find any unique features associated with cold adaptation. This suggests that the Neanderthal nose may not have been as susceptible to cold as previously thought.
Read more: Reconstruction of a Neanderthal skull flattened like a pancake
Confused by Neanderthal noses
Scientists have long been interested in the faces of Neanderthals. Neanderthals were recognized as a new species of man after the discovery of the skull in Germany in 1856. The specimen had several eccentric features that provided the first look at the appearance of the species. For example, the skull indicated that Neanderthals had prominent brow ridges and larger brains than humans.
Reconstructions of Neanderthal faces became more accurate over time, although some things still bothered scientists; It became clear that the Neanderthal nose was noticeably large, but it was not clear how its shape helped the species live in cold climate. It seemed that a larger nose would only lose heat.
It was then suggested that what is really important is what is inside the nose; According to a study conducted in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Given this idea, many scientists were confident that Neanderthals had unique abilities to adapt to cold in the inner nose. However, there have never been any fossils to support these claims, as the internal bones of the nose are fragile and rarely preserved.
Get inside an ancient skull
The answer to the mystery of the Neanderthal nose appears to be close after the researchers behind a new study revisited the study. Altamura Man The skeleton, estimated to be between 130,000 and 172,000 years old, was first discovered in a sinkhole near the Italian city of Altamura in 1993.
Many bones were found in this cave, including a skull stuck upside down. What makes the bones so distinctive is that they are encased in a thick layer of calcite (looking like little bulbs called “cave popcorn”), which helped preserve them, according to a study conducted in Quaternary scientific reviews.
The nasal cavity of Altamura Man is believed to be the only one completely preserved in the fossil record of pre-modern humans. They examined this nasal cavity using endoscopic technology directly in the cave system, since the removal of fossils could lead to damage to them.
By looking at the nasal cavity, the researchers were able to rule out the existence of internal nasal adaptations unique to Neanderthals.
“As several authors have noted in the past,” said co-author Antonio Profico, a paleoanthropologist at the University of Pisa, in his paper. statement. “These traits were identified as diagnostic without clear fossil evidence. Altamura finally provided evidence for their absence: even without these adaptations, the Neanderthal nose had an efficient model for meeting the high energy demands of the species.”
A better understanding of Neanderthal breathing
The researchers also gained insight into another notable facial feature known as “midprognathism,” a forward protrusion in the middle of the face. According to them, this feature was likely not due to the function of the upper respiratory tract, but could instead be related to other evolutionary factors.
Now that this knowledge about the nose is known, the researchers have created a 3D model of the Neanderthal nose, which they hope will guide future research into the Neanderthal respiratory system.
Read more: Neanderthals continued to mature – even their faces
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