Are Neanderthals the missing link between Human and Apes?!!!....

Homo habilis (the first homo, 2.2-1.6 million years ago)

Our universe is constructed from a multitude of various materials. It is dynamic in shape and form due to a multitude of various processes and interactions between these materials. To the human, however, in his need to establish his place and purpose in the universe, the most important material is biological material and the most important process is evolution, far it is only here that the human can learn to understand him, an understanding which is vital to his survival.

Many evolutionists, anthropologists, scientists have surmised and conjectured about the human over the centuries, and still do, but the truth about the human may be found only through factual knowledge. But that factual knowledge lies in a process called evolution. The human is what evolution made him.

Man has been a tribal animal since he first walked erect, more than four million years ago. With the impediment of being bipedal, man could not out-climb or outrun his predators. Only he could hold his predators through tribal co-operation.

The word hominidae is used to describe the total member species of the human family that have lived since the last common ancestor; the ancestor of both man and the apes. A hominid is an individual species within that family. Paleoanthropology is the field of science which studies the human fossil record. It is the intersection of the disciplines of paleontology (the study of ancient life forms) and anthropology (the study of humans). Each hominid name consists of a genus name (e.g. Australopithecus, Homo) which is always start with upper case, and a species name (e.g. africanus, erectus) which is always in lower case.

A brief history of Human Evolution:

The times of existence of the various hominids are based on dated fossil remains. Each species may have existed earlier and/or later than shown, but fossil proof has not been discovered yet. There is also dispute concerning many overlapping species, for example, the overlap between Homo habilis and Homo erectus. It could well be that the two are continuing examples of the same species. The same dispute exists with Homo erectus, Homo sapiens archaic and Homo sapiens sapiens. If all species have been discovered and the lineage of man lies within them, the most probable lineage would include all but the robust Australopithecines and the Neanderthal.

Species	Time Period
Ardipithicus ramidus	5 to 4 million years ago
Australopithecus anamensis	4.2 to 3.9 million years ago
Australopithecus afarensis	4 to 2.7 million years ago
Australopithecus africanus	3 to 2 million years ago
Australopithecus robustus	2.2 to 1.6 million years ago
Homo habilis	2.2 to 1.6 million years ago
Homo erectus	2.0 to 0.4 million years ago
Homo sapiens archaic	400 to 200 thousand years ago
Homo sapiens neanderthalensis	200 to 30 thousand years ago
Homo sapiens sapiens	200 thousand years ago to present

My interest in Neanderthal though there are lots of controversy on Neanderthal either they r human or apes. Is there any evidence for Neanderthal? Lots of question in my mind and in this article, I am going to discuss on this.

The Neanderthal:

The Neanderthal

The Homo sapiens neanderthalensis probably came from far northern Europe, they are the descendants of an ancient, Homo erectus tribe, a tribe that had migrated to that region (North Europe) many hundreds of thousands of years before. They had many physical characteristics of the Eskimo, who is well tuned to arctic living. They were stocky, almost massive, in build. The male Neanderthals were about 5'6" tall but they were much heavier and stronger than modern man. Neanderthals had the large pronounced cheeks usually associated with cold weather adaptation. They walked as erectly as modern human. Their tools paralleled the coexisting Homo sapiens sapiens. Although lacking a forehead, they had brains that averaged 1450cc, about 8% larger than modern man. They were the first Homo species to bury their dead, complete with flowers and artifacts.

Facts about Neanderthal man:

Neanderthal skeletons have been unearthed with the voice box intact. These are called hyoid bones. Neanderthal's hyoid bones are identical to modern humans. Neanderthal had the ability to speak. They were relatively shorter than modern humans but were more powerful than modern man. They had the ability to carry heavier loads with less strain. They had also extremely thick bones with extreme calcification in the bones. They were extremely muscular and strong.

Neanderthal on left and modern human on right

According to the Evolutionary theory, Neanderthals had smaller braincase with larger brain than the modern human.                                                          

The vertebral columns of the Shanidar Neanderthals were similar to those of modern human but with a marked tendency to robustness. The ribs are thick and the upper limb bones disclose a pattern of morphology close to that of other Neanderthals of the Near East and of Europe. This pattern includes powerful shoulders, arms and hands built for grasping, pulling and lifting. The lower limb remains conforms to the pattern of Neanderthal man in that they were robust, powerfully muscled and in keeping with upright posture and bipedal gait. In addition, it seems that the distribution of muscularity is such that powerful acceleration would have been possible in running, jumping or climbing.

In summary, Neanderthals were more muscular, more agile, and stronger with a greater bone density than modern humans. They also had a bigger brain. They would easily overpower most modern day Homo Sapiens. When archeologists describe Neanderthal they often use the word "robust." This is a fancy way of saying bigger, thicker or larger.   

                                            

Neanderthal had a flatter skull but it was longer and wider

Was Neanderthal Fully Human? Was the Unique One?

What caused Neanderthal's unique facial and skeletal characteristics? Evolutionists will tell you that since Neanderthal is an ancestor of modern humans the morphological differences are due to the evolutionary changes that are constantly remolding our features. But many scientists disagree with the term Evolution and the theory of Evolution in case of Neanderthal creation. Some scientists in their research show that non-evolutionary factors and forces could have produced Neanderthal's unique anatomical differences. But their explanation and their research is based on The Bible (The Holy Book of Christians) where they got some evidence which can proof that Neanderthal was not a combination half-man half-ape. He was fully human and was a full-fledged member of the human family. These scientists consider the facts that outlined in the Bible.

According to some scientists, Neanderthals were the direct descendant of Adam. They were therefore closer to the creation than we are. Adam and Eve did not suffer from genetic loading. Genetic loading is the devolution of our genetic material via mutations and alterations in our chromosomes. The Bible states that after Adam and Eve were created that God pronounced his creation very good (Genesis 1:31). Adam and Eve had perfect genetics. They would not suffer from many of the genetic diseases that we have today because of genetic imperfection. After Adam and Eve sinned then death and decay was projected into the picture. They intermarried among themselves. This would not have caused any physical problems because there would have been no genetic loading. When a mutation occurs in the genetic material it is usually recessive. In other word it does not manifest itself unless it is matched with another recessive gene from the other parent. Adam's closer descendants did not have these mutated recessive genes. Abraham married his half-sister. This caused no genetic problems. As mankind progressed, then God had to institute marriage laws. By this time humanity had built up a number of genetic mutations and marriage among close relatives would have caused defects and diseases.

It is quite interesting that scientists believed that Neanderthal man was a direct descendant of Adam and Eve. Neanderthal man was not a product of evolution. He was fully human and was a product of his environment with larger brained, more muscular, extremely strong, and longer-lived than modern man.