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closeskin-diving neanderthals
Posted by kflessa on 21 Jan 2020 at 21:23 GMT
I enjoyed the media coverage of "skin-diving neanderthals" but find that the evidence from the shells is weak. Well-preserved shells from subtidal species can be found on beaches, especially after storms. Megapitaria squalida (the chocolate clam) is similar in appearance and does occur in beach deposits in the Gulf of California, admittedly in low frequencies. As you note, Macrocallista chione does occur in shallow (0.5 m) water and was likely more abundant in the past. That the species is dredged today is a weak line of evidence; dredging cannot occur in very shallow water.. Neanderthals as clam-diggers, yes: As skin divers, not necessarily
RE: skin-diving neanderthals
marc_verhaegen replied to kflessa on 25 Jan 2020 at 21:39 GMT
Not only clam-diggers, certainly (also) skin-diving. It's well possible that the evidence from the shells is weak (I have no idea), but the biological evidence is overwhelming: as opposed to modern humans, neandertals had pachy-osteo-sclerosis (very heavy skeletons, which is exclusively seen in slow & shallow littorally diving mammals), platycephaly (very long & low skulls, typical for underwater swimming tetrapods), large noses & projecting mid-faces (typically seen for wetland dwelling spp), C & N isotopes intermediate between littoral & freshwater foods (not "super-carnivorous" on land as sometimes assumed: this is impossible: you can't be more carnivorous than felids), extensive ear exostoses (as seen in human surfers & divers), fossilization invariably in rivers valleys, oxbow lakes, coasts etc. Neandertals were also too heavily & broadly (esp. pelvis) built to be good runners, their bones were probably too fragile (cf pachy-osteo-sclerosis: they can't have been "rodeo rider s"as sometimes assumed), etc. Most likely, European neandertals simply seasonally followed the river to the (Mediterranean or Atlantic) coasts. Biologically there's no doubt that neandertals spent a lot of time in the water, diving for shellfish & possibly also seaweeds. For references & for my (not very orthodox) view on ape & human evolution, please google "two incredible logical mistakes 2019 verhaegen".