jaime

Want to mention, I was very disappointed with the depiction of Neanderthals in the late National Geographic program on Neanderthals. In such program, Neanderthals, contrary to evidence, where depicted as small, short fat and inferior hominids. Evidence shows Neanderthals has lower cranial cavities,yes, but longer as well. Average Neanderthal brain capacity is larger than Homo Sapiens'.The face has the mid area as the outstanding feature, as if a clay skull of a Homo Sapiens , clay, fresh, was pulled out by the nose area. Also we know about the prominent brow ridges. The nose was large,the eyes were larger too, due to larger eye sockets. The Image presented by National Geographic was one with no elongated and larger braincase, no mid face protuding forward,no larger eyes,yes, the classic big brow ridges were there, as well as the nose, but these 2 characteristics without the rest of the facial features rendered the Neanderthals as something they did not look like. I believe it was a uncientific, or unprofesional job done, either the purpose was to depict Neanderthals as inferior, (ignorance on part of national geographic is not a valid explanation)or else, poor production, lack of technology to depict the neanderthals in their real dimension, inhablity, which ever it was, reasons enough to have not permited such program to go in the air. Such misrepresentations create the perpetuated view that Neanderthals were an inferior hominid, it is a disgrace. The body structure depicted in the program was also off the track by far. Neanderthals, if we are to compare them to Homo Sapiens, are in a way in the same league as when the Smilodon Populator(sabre toothed cat from South America, the biggest sabre ever) is compared to a lion.Many texts describe the Smilodon as being about the size of the lion, a bit larger. They fail to mention that, and this is also omitted in many ilustrations, that the Smilodon was much more built, heavier, and overall stronger cat. Even the NG depictions of sabre toothed cats is misleading. When going back to the Neanderthal man, the body, as evidenced by many findings, is the body of a much stronger individual. Muscle mass is very developed(judged by the tendon attachment points in the bones), and the bones are much thicker. Hands and feet are wider and more developed,the proportion of the forearm to the arm is such that it gave Neanderthals a tremendous leverage and consecuently super strengh as compared to the Homo Sapiens. The shoulder girdle area is much wider and developed, with longer clavicle collar bones. Again, these and other body proportions and aspects, which are extremely important when visualizing a re creation of a extinc species, all these facts where omitted and degraded. The impression after viewing such program is one in which the neanderthal man looks like a insignificant weirdo doomed to perish when confronted with the magnificent Homo Sapiens. I felt cheated, not because I was going to be swayed into thinking that Neanderthals are inferior, but because the great mass of viewers that are not really educated into the matter would buy such shamefull depiction of Neanderthals, perpetuating the mith about Homo Sapiens supremacy over Neanderthals. It made me think that we might still live in the dark ages of paleontology and anthropology, when neanderthals were on purpose depicted as swayed, humpbacked, idiotic monsters. If the excuse is that the producers could not make a real depiction because of technology or resources, then it is better not to make a movie "just because", this is science, not saturday night movie special. We are talking about National Geographic. I just wanted to mention this movie, because I found out many people were lead into thinking that Homo Neanderthalensis was, and is based on that sad depiction, a small, insignificant idiot looser. As long as science insists on maintaining Homo Sapiens top position based on inacuracies and subjective misinformation, we will still live in the dark ages. Jaime.*******************

What molded you to think and have an opinion about the neanderthal man's inteligence and relative position to todays hominid, the Homo Sapiens?

I agree with that statement, it will be imposible to live to infinity, only untill our technology and inteligence will last, could be a long time, or not that long, not "for ever", but I think that for a very long time is and will be attained. Infinity is too big a scale, too ambitious. But the posibility of our human legacy to be around for a long time is there. Jaime

I heard something like that before, some antievolutionist, telling me that all species coexisted together at one time, that was his explanation for the fosils, so, dinasaurs, sabre toothed cats, lions, pterodactyls, archeopterixes, orcas, dogs, rats, amoebas,trilobites, etc, coexisted happily once, with man, homo sapiens, and homo erectus, and homo habilis, and homo sapiens neanderthalensis, and llamas, and dinictis, and gigantothepecus, and ictiosaurus.....do not get mad, it is just that some unfortunate ones have been misguided and let to believe that green elephants fly. Ignorance is understandable, but willfull denial and wanton disregard is unforgivable. Jaime.

Technology is moving faster than any possible natural selection/evolution process could affect our evolution. I think from here on, only involution could happen, at least physically speaking. Our brains can develop more due to challenges, but at the same time we will be delegating many thinking tasks to computers, so we are going to fall victims of our technology, but, again, our technology can allow us to start manipulating our genes and change "by design", so to speak, so, we can start selecting our most desired traits, eliminating others, so we will "evolutionize" ourselves by design, but it will not be real evolution by natural selection nor natural developments, and there is the risk, we might put ourselves in a corner. Natural evolution? NO, designed evolution/changes? YES, will it work in the long run? let's wait and see. Jaime

Hy. I think, first of all, that they are already there, and if they are around traveling, it means they are more advanced than us, they have no intentions of entering into contact with us, unless meeting a civilization that is of comparable inteligence. Any beings traveling through space are way too advanced to want to engage us in any type of comunication. In the same way we want to protect the species in our planet, create reserves, and let them live happy their natural lives in natural enviroments, they (aliens) see us as a species in developement, and , if inteligent, will not want to engage us in any type of communication. I am sure they are observing us. Even beings from our future could be seing us. If we could go back in time and witness under cover(in the confort of our vessels, without disturbing anybody) the dinasaurs, the different ages and times, like the mammals era, the Reptiles, the dinasaurs, etc, if we could witness the sabre tooth tiger roaming around, the neanderthal men doing their things, we would not(at least should not and the educated mind would agree) dare interfere, we would just witness and take notes, enjoy the show. What point would there be in acting and protecting an alticamelus from falling victim to a american cave lion? what would we achieve in helping a neanderthal defeat a sabretooth tiger, changing the natural course of things? ...well, I think we have them all over, but they would not interfere, even if we destroy ourselves with nuclear weapons, it would still be the course of things, the natural course of things, they are more inteligent than us, they just observe. Oh, by trhe way, thay do not have to be humanoid, they probably need hands, and a head, and a body, but different atmospheres and gravities will create a zillion different ways,all perfect in context. Jaime

Hy. I think that posibility is there, and will happen. Biologically speaking, a new "YOU" can be recreated by cloning every 25 or so years, so we would have always a young body, also, biology is taking giant steps, so the day when we will be able to stop the aging process by perpetuating what our bodies do when we are 18 years old is another posibility, so perhaps we will be able to maintain out youth bodies forever. Perhaps the biggest challenge will be to reinvent ourselves psicologically to avoid falling into boredom. Also, biomechanic devices will permit us maintain ourselves in existence while a new body is cloned(in case of accident /trauma and forced to "move" into a new body). The only reason I see to die or cease to exist would be death penalty after the commision of a crime, or blunt trauma/accident that did not allow for promt medical aid, death, once dead, I do not think anything can bring us back, you could clone a body, program a brain with the functions and way of living of some individual, but it would be a programed android, the real independent being will have died in the accident. Jaime.

I believe neanderthals were(and the fosil record proves it) better and more developed than we are. Next to one of them, any of us would look like a wimp, so, one on one,a Neanderthal would beat us up always.They had, aside from a better build, a larger brain. The fact that we did better(from our poit of view) tools does not say we were more inteligent, perhaps they were more specialized and stressed out with our precense, in the same way inmigrants move into an area, and the locals move out. Adaptation is said to be the equivalent of inteligence, saying that Neanderthals did not adapt, but, stubborness and refusing to give in is also a consecuence of inteligence, perhaps Neanderthals did not want to share with us, did not like us, and, in the end, not because neanderthals were less inteligent, but more exquisite, they perished. Homo Sapiens Sapiens is a bad hominid(like chimps, our closest living relative) quarrelsome, vengefull, envious, rivalry and evil in a way, perhaps this bad qualities we have served us to displace a more noble race of men, which although physically more fit and developed, only reacted when cornered, like a gentle giant,which made Homo Sapiens Sapiens more prone to rome in big numbers in order to asure victory over confrontations with Neanderthals. { This is a fact, compare, for example, populations of chimps in different areas of Africa, some are more aggresive, some pigmy chimps are even leadered by females, and, compare chimps with gorillas, one quarrelsome, the other is not, or, Lions, which are social, with Tigers, which are not}...Remember, Neanderthals were proven more agile, strong, and even bigger brained, so, 10 of us against 2 or 1 neanderthal might had been the way we(unfortunately for us) anyhilated our family. I am sure we destroyed their world, but they did not disappear because of being less inteligent,{ hyphoid bones have been found, Neanderthals had the ability to speak}... on the contrary, if you are a profesional, educated person, and hoodlums and white trash people move into your area, even if you are a black belt karate guy, you are not going to get into fights with these loosers, you would elect to move out from the neighborhood.A similar process, a lenghty one, took place, I believe Neanderthals did not trust nor wanted us around, Homo Sapiens earned that dislike by invading and acting in the way it knows best to act, quarrelsome, mean and irrational. Also, a never ending supply of invaders from Africa was too much pressure for the fixed number of Neanderthals in Europe and Asia. Jaime

I thi nk that it is not wrong, provided the hybrid is treated with respect, and offered a good life, not caged in a lab nor enslaved. Regardless of the inteligence this creature achieves,he has to be respected, I do not think it is wrong unless it is brought for lab purposes. He can be studied, in the same way we test humans, in a human way. Perhaps this hybrid creature will enlighten our messed up view on life in this planet, we Human beings(homo sapiens sapiens) have destroyed the planet, sent many species to oblivion, including our once alive cousin, the Neanderthal man,we are materialistic, vengefull, envious, quarrelsome...etc...we are a disgrace, we live in a developed country and think that those in poor places are not human as we are and think of ourselves as better than wjhat we are, we are those poor people species, we are stupid. Perhaps the chimp blood will open something new and good for us, a new perspective. Jaime.

Hy, this is exciting, and not too much of a surprise, the Earth had plenty of space for more than one species of human to evolve, better said, more than one hominid, we are humans, Homo Sapiens, but there where others, Neanderthal man, and the Homo Erectus survived and coexisted in the same planet at the same time for a while. Unfortunately, specially in times of brute force, not much technology(although there was technology, not what it is in modern times, where a 5'4" human can kill a 7" 300lbs pounder with a small gun) did not help some hominids against others,remember, the Homo Sapiens Neanderthalensis/Homo Sapiens Sapiens/Homo Erectus triangle is probably not been the only one, in the past, Gigantothepecus, and others also blended in their times,so, in the last of the major competitions, us, Homo Sapiens Sapiens , are the boldest, in terms of aggresiveness, , perhaps not even in aggresiveness(neanderthals have a stronger body, superior metabolism and efficiency, bigger brains than us, probably a higher level of testosterone in their body systems, so, I am inclined to think nNeanderthals were probably more aggresive, Homo Sapiens Sapiens was probably more social due to the need to confront these stronger Neanderthals)...but in a group attitude that was forced upon them when confronted with the stronger Neanderthal. I also think that we are the worst of the 3 hominids that existed at the time(without even talking about flores), because, as in people in jail, as in people in war, the meanest and dirtiest scum bags survive, the nice guys can not make it. Neanderthals in my view, where stronger and better prepared for combat than us, even more inteligent, but were , in my view, a gentle giant, only getting brute when forced, cornered,so, I can envision Neanderthals walking by the forest, when a tribe of Homo Sapiens jumped on them, out numbering them and surprising them. In the same way a nice family moving into a ghetto will have a rough time, Homo Sapiens brought in the ghetto mentality, the bad feelings, and Neanderthals did not know how to react to that, stressing them and falling victim to systematic Homo Sapiens Sapiens anihilation. We are still doing so, we are the dead end of the hominid evolution, the worts one got to win, and now that he has no enemies to destroy, Homo Sapiens Sapiens is looking upon himself to fight and destroy, Homo Sapiens Sapiens will destroy himself in the process.