Research Digest: How do humans adapt to changing environmental conditions?
“….it is well-accepted that Neanderthals appear to be the most cold-adapted of known fossil hominin groups; however, there are still many unknowns. There is a great deal yet to be uncovered about the nature and manifestation of Neanderthal adaptation and how the synergy of biology and culture helped buffer them against extreme and variable environments.” - Evolutionary Anthropology 2021 Starting in 1970, April 22nd is designated as “Earth Day” and is meant to be a day we celebrate and engage in activities related to earth and its inhabitants. Anthropologists are interested in studying all things related to human activity, its impact, interaction and the ramification of global climate change on human life. Recently a study from a team of researchers at Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology asked a related question - Was one of our close hominid relatives, namely Neanderthals really as adapted to life in the cold as has been previously assumed, or did they prefer more t...