Neanderthals are Not a Subspecies of Humans: The Nose Knows

Neanderthals lived at the same time as modern humans. Yet these hominins weren't a subspecies of humans. Instead, scientists have discovered that they were their own, distinct species.

Previously, scientists believed that the Neanderthal's anatomy may have let to its extinction; more specifically, the researchers pinpointed its nose. In the past, scientists believed that Neanderthals were unable to adapt to a colder and drier climate due to how their nasal passages were shaped.

In order to better understand the evolutionary origins of Neanderthals, the scientists examined the entire nasal complex of Neanderthals. This revealed that the Neanderthal nasal complex was not adaptively inferior to that of modern humans, and that the extinction of Neanderthals was likely due to competition from modern humans rather than an inability to process a colder, drier climate.

What's more interesting is that the upper respiratory tract of this extinct group functioned via a different set of rules due to a different evolutionary history and overall cranial bodyplan. In fact, it seems that Neanderthals possessed features not found among any population of Homo sapiens.

While the external nasal aperture of Neanderthals approximates some modern human populations, their midfacial prognathism (protrusion of the midface) is extremely different. This difference is just one of the traits that suggest that Neanderthals are a distinct species.

"The strength of this new research lies in its taking the totality of the Neanderthal nasal complex into account, rather than looking at a single feature," said Jeffrey Laitman, one of the researchers, in a news release. "By looking at the complete morphological pattern, we can conclude that Neanderthals are our close relatives, but they are not us."

The findings reveal a bit more about Neanderthals, and show that they deserve a distinctive identity of their own. This, in turn, tells scientists a bit more about humans, as well.

The findings are published in the journal The Anatomical Record.