Great Portraits:
Mr Heidelbergensis
and
An unhappy Mr Floresiensis
Plus
A happy Mr Ergaster
And finally, my good buddy and distant relative (per current DNA science)…..Mr Neanderthal….
My very happy good buddy... Mr Neanderthal
You guessed it. Recent renderings based on all these “prehuman” skulls. Of course, I see living people that look like these good gentlemen on a regular basis. And, DNA researchers are claiming modern humans have “Neanderthal” DNA “markers” in their DNA. Of course, the obvious question is: “If we have Neanderthal DNA in us, then what makes that DNA distinctly Neanderthal?” I mean, it means we’re the same, not different. Which is the first thing I think when I see these amazing renderings!
Dichotomic 
Those are amazing renderings. They look like clay models, but I guess they could be computer models with the level of cg art today. What’s your source for those pictures? I’d like to read more about the methods used to create them.
Oh, and a note on this:
“If we have Neanderthal DNA in us, then what makes that DNA distinctly Neanderthal?”
I wasn’t sure if you were just being rhetorical or you really want an answer, but I’ll give one anyway.
Neanderthals diverged from humans some 600 thousand years ago, maybe more. During that time, they acquired mutations that were unique to them, as did homo sapiens during that same time. That’s what makes Neanderthal DNA distinct.
Scientists compared DNA sequences to see what gene variants Neanderthals have that we don’t. While doing that they found out that we have some mutations that originated from Neanderthals. Not all of us do. Eurasians have about 4 percent Neanderthal DNA. Doesn’t sound like a lot, but that’s the equivalent to your great-great-great granddad being a Neanderthal.
By: Sagat on September 29, 2010
at 3:04 pm
I read your post on “white neanderthals” and I like your angle.
Personally, I think science shows us that the Neanderthal is not significantly different than 21st century man.
By: Karl on September 29, 2010
at 5:43 pm
Thanks. I hadn’t looked through your whole blog before I made that comment, but I see now that you may have ideological reasons for feeling the way you do. That’s fine and I appreciate that you at least entertained my perspective, even if you don’t agree.
By: Sagat on September 30, 2010
at 2:41 am
Actually, you mention the whole point of my blog: people need to be careful to separate “thinking” from “feeling” (dichotomy). That’s why I like your “white neanderthals” post. Scientists were letting some right-brain feelings influence what they “thought” neaderthals looked like. Yes! You are right on the mark!
The “feeling” that you can “trust” science is an ideology that many people use to develope their “scientific” world view.
By: Karl on September 30, 2010
at 12:27 pm
Sorry, I can’t quickly locate the source for the images. I do think they are computer models.
By: Karl on September 29, 2010
at 5:51 pm