LONDON, ENGLAND—Neanderthal facial structure may have been an adaptation to an energetic lifestyle in cold climates, according to a report in The Guardian. A new study led by Stephen Wroe of Australia’s University of New England and Chris Stringer of London’s Natural History Museum suggests Neanderthal nasal passages, which were about 29 percent larger than those of modern humans, could warm and moisten large volumes of air. Using virtual reconstructions from CT scans, the researchers compared the skulls of Homo sapiens, Neanderthals, and Homo heidelbergensis. And while modern human nasal passages were found to be the most efficient at warming and humidifying air breathed in through the nose, Neanderthals would probably have been able to move air at a greater rate. “The calorific demands of Neanderthals were huge compared with ours,” Stringer said. “They were moving around a lot, they probably had less efficient clothing and therefore they are having to burn a lot more of their body fat to keep warm.” The study also suggests that Neanderthals did not appear to have a more powerful bite than modern humans, which had been suggested as a possible explanation for their facial structure. For more on Neanderthals, go to “Early Man Cave.”
