Our Closest Relative the Neanderthal
At at time when most prehistoric animal model ranges are being reduced it is always pleasing to see a manufacturer come up with a new addition to an Ice Age/Prehistoric animal model series. In 2012, CollectA are launching two Neanderthal models, a male and a female, (CollectA Neanderthal man and the CollectA Neanderthal woman), replicas that represent the closest species known to our own – Homo sapiens. CollectA Neanderthal figures are being added to the CollectA Age of Dinosaurs Prehistoric Life range.
Our First Look at the Neanderthal Models
Say hello to our next of kin the two,new for 2012 CollectA Neanderthal figures (the male left and the female right).
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur/CollectA
CollectA Neanderthal Figures
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented that they were pleased to see ancient hominid species introduced into a major model range adding:
“The Neanderthal has always had a bad press, for example, the human remains from the Neander valley, from which this type of human is named, were thought to be the skeleton of a Russian Cossack. The prominent brow ridge was explained away by Victorian scientists as being due to that particular individual frowning a lot. The Neanderthals were an extremely successful, adaptable species not the ape-like, thugs as often depicted in the popular media.”
Everything Dinosaur team members are hoping to get more pictures soon. The jewellery on the figures is noted. For many years palaeoanthropologists believed that Neanderthals did not make such items, whereas, our ancestors made intricate and delicate jewellery out of shells, bone and other items. Excavations from eastern Europe and the Middle East have shown that Neanderthals too were capable of making such objects and they had a very sophisticated culture.
To view the CollectA Prehistoric Life range of figures: CollectA Prehistoric Life Figures.
Lots of Neanderthal remains found in the Middle East including Iraq and there is evidence of members being cared for, material from France discovered in the early 20th Century indicated this but the idea of the “apemen” showing such “human” traits was not accepted by most of the academic world at the time. Check out the blog article from 25th November which has an article on evidence for hominid aggression.