questionmark Posted July 18, 2012 #1 Share Posted July 18, 2012 The tartar on Neanderthal teeth has a tale to tell. The chemicals and food fragments it contains reveal that our close relations huddled around fires to cook and consume plants – including some with medicinal properties. The find is the earliest direct evidence of self-medication in prehistory. Despite their reputed taste for flesh, we now know that at least some Neanderthals enjoyed a more varied diet. The latest evidence comes from an analysis of 50,000-year-old Neanderthal teeth from the El Sidrón site in northern Spain. Karen Hardy at ICREA, the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies in Barcelona, working with Stephen Buckley at the University of York, UK, and colleagues, used a scalpel to scrape tartar off the teeth of five Neanderthals. They chemically analysed some of the tartar samples, and examined others using an electron microscope. Read more 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThickasaBrick Posted July 19, 2012 #2 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Modern primates self-medicate so this is interesting, but not very surprising. Nice find regardless! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeathRain2012 Posted July 19, 2012 #3 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Ill bet they even shaved their faces and cut there hair in particular hair styles. Decorated their homes, and did brilliant works of art. I love how we think we know something. But me, I need to know something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csspwns Posted July 20, 2012 #4 Share Posted July 20, 2012 no tats probably more modern. 20,000 BC probably? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Englishgent Posted July 20, 2012 #5 Share Posted July 20, 2012 If Neanderthals consumed lots of plants, then it goes without saying that some of these plants would contain certain medicinal properties. What we dont know is this:- Did they eat them knowing the plants had medicinal properties? Or did they eat them just because they tasted nice!. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcos anthony toledo Posted July 20, 2012 #6 Share Posted July 20, 2012 Another Neanderthal were not stupid story they were as intelligent as us. They were us proved again ehhic group possibably. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paracelse Posted July 20, 2012 #7 Share Posted July 20, 2012 If Neanderthals consumed lots of plants, then it goes without saying that some of these plants would contain certain medicinal properties. What we dont know is this:- Did they eat them knowing the plants had medicinal properties? Or did they eat them just because they tasted nice!. Did you read the entire article? Methink not since: The microscope revealed cracked starch granules, which suggests the Neanderthals roasted plants before eating them. More evidence for the importance of fire was found in the chemicals within the tartar: there were aromatic hydrocarbons and phenols, which are associated with wood smoke. Unexpectedly, there were few lipids or proteins in the tartar, suggesting the Neanderthals of El Sidrón ate little meat. However, one Neanderthal consumed yarrow, a natural astringent, and camomile, an anti-inflammatory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super-Fly Posted July 20, 2012 #8 Share Posted July 20, 2012 Tidy, what does this mean for us though? Thanks, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Englishgent Posted July 20, 2012 #9 Share Posted July 20, 2012 (edited) Did you read the entire article? Methink not since: I dont see that reading the article or not makes the slightest bit of difference. So they roasted them. Perhaps to make them taste better. It is still not evidence that they were aware of the medicinal properties. On the other hand, there should be no reason why, after thousands of years existance, that they did not discover the fact that eating a certain plant would relieve them of a headache. Anyway, what I posted initially was tongue in cheek, although there is a certain merit in what was I said. edit,,,typo Edited July 20, 2012 by Englishgent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paracelse Posted July 20, 2012 #10 Share Posted July 20, 2012 I dont see that reading the article or not makes the slightest bit of difference. So they roasted them. Perhaps to make them taste better. It is still not evidence that they were aware of the medicinal properties. On the other hand, there should be no reason why, after thousands of years existance, that they did not discover the fact that eating a certain plant would relieve them of a headache. Anyway, what I posted initially was tongue in cheek, although there is a certain merit in what was I said. edit,,,typo Yarrow is apply raw to wounds and cuts so if they happen in the mouth, yarrow would leaves traces whereas camomile is infused so there are big differences in the way of using it. I do practice herbal medicine for myself and I just happen to know that neither of those herbs is particularly tasty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Englishgent Posted July 21, 2012 #11 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Yarrow is apply raw to wounds and cuts so if they happen in the mouth, yarrow would leaves traces whereas camomile is infused so there are big differences in the way of using it. I do practice herbal medicine for myself and I just happen to know that neither of those herbs is particularly tasty. I bow to your superior knowledge regarding herbal medicine Paraclese, but the text does read as follows. ''However, one Neanderthal consumed yarrow, a natural astringent, and camomile, an anti-inflammatory.'' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paracelse Posted July 21, 2012 #12 Share Posted July 21, 2012 I bow to your superior knowledge regarding herbal medicine Paraclese, but the text does read as follows. ''However, one Neanderthal consumed yarrow, a natural astringent, and camomile, an anti-inflammatory.'' If you cook yarrow it wont astringe (word made up by yours truly) and eating raw camomime it won't anti-inflamme.. so yeah Neanderthal was smarter than previoulsly thought Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
27vet Posted July 22, 2012 #13 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Do they have enough Neanderthal DNA to clone one? I'm sure I read somewhere that they have quite a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paracelse Posted July 22, 2012 #14 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Do they have enough Neanderthal DNA to clone one? I'm sure I read somewhere that they have quite a lot. And then one, keep it in zoo and earn beaucoup cash??? I don't think it would be a good idea. If Neanderthal vanished, lets not play dog and bring him back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
27vet Posted July 23, 2012 #15 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Would it qualify as an animal though? Maybe we should start on mammoths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolguy Posted July 23, 2012 #16 Share Posted July 23, 2012 its could be that they knew what plants to eat to make them selfs better,, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystal sage Posted August 16, 2012 #17 Share Posted August 16, 2012 Well as we can't reverse engineer the DNA back down evolutionary ladder we could assume that the genes are only biological trait markers.. like computer programs of an avatar in a computer game? I like the idea of the Holographical Concept of Reality.. it supports the idea that tweaking the genes in a DNA, cutting and splicing won't change the original program of the DNA into another species... but I gather we can add capabilities to what we have.. eg adding spider silk traits to a goat created a goat that can produce a strong spider silk in it's milk. They are now thinking of adding human genes to cows so that they produce something similar to breast milk... but it won't turn the cow into a human.. http://biophysics.50megs.com/custom4.html 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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