Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Did Humans Get Their Big Brains From Neanderthals?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the atook-do-calculus-then-zug-zug-lana dept.

MCTFB writes, "According to CNN, human beings may have acquired a gene for developing bigger brains from Neanderthal man. Apparently, 70% of the world's population has a variant of a gene regulating brain size, with this variant being most common in people of European descent (where Neanderthal man lived alongside ancient humans), and least common in people of African descent (where Neanderthal man was non-existent). While modern day eugenicists might all too eagerly read into these findings to draw their own politically biased conclusions, people such as myself, who happen to be of northern European ancestry, may find it fascinating that somewhere in our lineage ancient humans and Neanderthals decided to make love and not war on the ancient plains of Eurasia."

2 of 579 comments (clear)

  1. anything to do with that "bump" by not+already+in+use · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I don't know if it's at all related, but some people have a bump on the back of their head, and I've read before that those with the bump are generally more intelligent than those without. It has a name, can't remember, but I think it was some German word. I'm sure some slashdotter out there will be able to expand on this...

    --
    Similes are like metaphors
  2. Oh, I coulda told you this. by sammy+baby · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Oh, yeah, definitely. Know how I know? My wife.

    See, she was an anthropology major in college. Back before we got married, we were hanging out in the living room, post-movie-watching, and having one of those shmoopy "gazing into each other's eyes" moments. She reached up to stroke my hair, then looked startled.

    "Hey. Did you hit your head?"

    Her hand was on the back of my head, right above the neck.

    "Huh? No. Oh, that bump? I've had that forever."

    She laughed. "That's an occipital bun." When I looked puzzled, she explained what it meant. Then her eyes widened. "And you... you have a supra-orbital ridge!" I knew what that one was, but I wasn't expecting what she said next.

    As if she'd discovered something either fantastic or fantastically gross, she leaned in and whispered, her voice full of wonder: "You're a Neanderthal!

    All you geeks can thank me for your big brains. Preferably with cash.