I was reading today that in Spain, the Neanderthals hung on about 4,000 years longer than previously thought. But it was another article linked into this one that caught my eye. This one on National Geographic about how tooth growth evidence suggests that the Neanderthals had a long childhood just as we do.
This contrasts with an earlier finding that Neanderthals must have matured younger, since their wisdom teeth came in at about fifteen.
And as these contradictions floated before me, I thought up a possible explanation as to why slow growing Neanderthals might have gotten their wisdom teeth at such an early age. (Presumptious for a layman, I know but bear with me.) Neanderthals had larger mouths than we do. Perhaps it is simply that they could fit adult molars into these mouths at a younger age, and so that is when their adult molars came in!
What do you think?
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Neanderthals hang on
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2 comments:
I suppose that's possible given the fact that primitive dentists drilled nearly perfect holes into live but undoubtedly unhappy patients between 5500 B.C. and 7000 B.C.
I have a visit with a dentist on Wed for a root canal. I am hoping he's not a primitive dentist, cause I've had a few! :-)
Actually, I wonder if the dentists of that time might have discovered clove oil. Might have made the process a little less unbearable. :-)
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