The Spirit in Human Evolution - Waldorf Research Institute

and the cheeks were inflated rather than
hollowed.” 13
Some of these features became
more pronounced in later Neanderthals
and have been explained as adaptations
to living in cold, sub-Arctic conditions.
The typical Neanderthal nose was not
only prominent in length but also in
width. It has been thought that large
noses and sinus cavities helped warm
incoming cold air, thus protecting the
delicate brain tissues from extremes of
temperature.
Modern Arctic dwellers do
tend to have long noses, though broad
noses are more common among tropical
peoples. The Neanderthal combination
of these features suggests a unique
adaptation that responds both to cold
atmospheres and the need for rapid
heat dispersion after strenuous activity
whilst wearing warm fur clothing, the face being the most exposed part of the body. As
experience shows, overheating and sweating due to exertion followed by rapid cooling
in icy conditions can be harmful.
A)
B)
Fig 7.6 Two Neanderthal children: A) a 3-year-old from
Pech de l’Az, France, and B) a 9- to 11-year-old from
Teshik-Tash in Uzbekistan (drawings after Tattersall
and Schwartz 2002).
Fig. 7.7 The Old Man of La Chapelle-aux-Saints, France (photo of cast by author).
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13
Ibid., p124.
229