Madison Weaver

ANTH 1020
July 12, 2015
Annotated Bibliography

Pbo, P. S. (2014). Neanderthal man: In search of lost genomes. New York, NY: Basic Books.
Using his knowledge from previous research with mummies from Egypt, author Pbo
studied several specimens of Neanderthal bones from places all over Europe to answer
many questions revolving around the mysterious species. Incredible leads from sites like
Neander Valley in Germany, Vindija Cave in Croatia, and El Sidrn in Spain brought him
ever-closer to the answers that so many seeked.
Through his research, Pbo manages to sequence the entire Neanderthal genome. From
the mtDNA (which is, granted, much easier to sequence), he finds that there are 133
positions where the Neanderthal mtDNA differed from nearly all modern human mtDNA,
with only 11 percent contamination from other, more modern DNA. More research
revealed that humans had 78 amino-acid-altering nucleotide positions where all humans
today were similar to one another, as far as current research showed. These nucleotide
positions, contrastingly, were different from Neanderthals and great apes. The author
himself admits that though it is real progress theyve made on the gene sequencing, it will
still be a very long time before they know what it all means. Pbo is currently director of
genetics at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and is the founder of
the field of ancient DNA studies.

Appenzeller, T. A. (2013). Neanderthal culture: old masters. Nature, 497, 302-304

In the coverage of this article, Neanderthal advocate Joo Zilho fights to prove that
Neanderthals were, if not cognitive equals, then close seconds, to modern humans. He
uses evidence from several sights that had sophisticated tools and even ornamented
pieces mixed in with Neanderthal bones to show that our close cousins were also capable
of symbolic thinking and abstract thought. Some cave paintings from El Castillo cave in
Spain also suggest cognitive abilities similar to our own, and they date back to over forty
thousand years ago, a time thought to have belonged only to Neanderthals. Critics are
skeptical about such large claims and are reluctant to accept it.
New evidence was appearing that suggested that former conclusions may have
underestimated our predecessors. Zilho couldnt be happier when he helped to uncover
bone awls and beads fashioned out of animal teeth, right alongside the remains of what
Jean-Jacques Hublin declared were unmistakably Neanderthal. Hublin, however,
wasnt convinced. He argued that the Neanderthals had likely been influenced by the
modern humans that had already started to flood the area by the time of sites

preservation. Zilho refuses to be discouraged, and though he admits to the equal validity
of Hublins hypothesis, he still has hope for more evidence. Rather than using genetic
material as the basis of his work, as Pbo did, Zilho used ancient, physical remains to
reconstruct cultural behaviors.

Than, K. T. (2013). Neanderthal burials confirmed as ancient ritual. National Geographic.

Retrieved from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/12/131216-la-chapelleneanderthal-burials-graves/

A Neanderthal gravesite at La Chapelle-aux-Saints was uncovered by the Bouyssonie

brothers in 1908, and the evidence they found convinced them that it was a burial site.
Many people at the time were skeptical of their methods and most didnt believe the
evidence. A second excavation by French researchers, beginning in 1999 and with much
more modern technology, supported the claims made by the brother archaeologists
ninety-one years before. After thirteen years of rigorous research and excavation, the
French archaeologists agree that the site was very likely a Neanderthal burial.
Evidence found within the cave is hard to contend with. The fully intact Neanderthal
skeleton was found among scattered animal bones. This strongly suggests an intended
burial, because the human bones were well-preserved and protected, whereas the animal
bones were exposed to the elements. There is also evidence that the depression in which
the skeleton was found had been at least partially modified to create the grave. Bones
from three other individuals were also uncovered two children and one adult.
Interestingly enough, the skeleton that was buried showed signs of back and hip
problems, and it was missing most of its teeth. Could this be a sign of caring for the
sickly? This article suggests a very big likeness to modern humans, showing that maybe
modern humans and Neanderthals werent so different, after all.