Sunday, January 26, 2014
My Favorite Recent Hominin Reconstruction
I suspect "WE"-- call us Modern or in Europe Cro- Magnon-- thought that our recently extinct fellow "hominins'", to use the latest correct term-- looked odd, as we did to them, even though we did mix genes. Most reconstructions are so steeped in reflexive egalitarianism-- wrong word, but I'm looking for a synonym for sappy "everything is beautiful"- ism-- that all depictions look like that mythical Neandertal on the train mentioned so often in the fifties (TRAIN? Did we all live in New York or London??), who just looked a bit uncomfortable in his Mad Men commuter suit. Which is why I do love these Denisovans, who would give any Modern kid proper nightmares; I suspect their (and our) western kin, the Neandertals, would have too...
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7 comments:
Is that Gandalf on the right? Middle Earth, indeed.
WH
In one of the many recent articles on the H. sapiens - Neanderthal-Denisovan DNA discoveries, I saw a new variation on the old Neanderthal on the bus (train) trope:
"If a Neanderthal came and sat down next to you on a bus, you'd probably get up and sit on the other side of the bus. If a Homo erectus sat down next to you on a bus, you'd probably get off the bus."
I don't know who came up with that bus(train) trope you mentioned, Reid, but that sure as heck would NOT be MY response! In fact, I'd consider that somewhat of a subspecies racist remark! I personally would find it cool as heck to hang out with a Neanderthal or Homo Erectus or Australopithecine, etc. etc.! And I don't think I'm being unrealistic here at all, since I HAVE sat next to wild Chimpanzees and Baboons, and enjoyed their company very much, thank you! I also have zero sense of smell, which likely helps with that kind of association.......L. B.
Nice image. At first I thought it was one of the paintings by the Dutch Kennis brothers, who have done some spectacular reconstructions of hominids but even better, Pleistocene fauna.
http://www.kenniskennis.com/site/paintings/Prehistoric%20mammals/
The Spanish painter of the Denisovans comes damn close to their quality. - Laura N.
He does the BEST cats.
Lane - I wouldn't mind spending time with them either.
Laura - I hope you are doing well
I have to laugh at comments like that "trope", Reid, as if anyone DARED make such a comment now regarding any existent human culture or race(subspecies), it WOULD generate quite a bit of backlash! Obviously the Geico folks picked up on that with their famous and popular Cave Man commercials, which I loved! Too bad the attempted series of the same was so bad and (deservedly) bombed.....L.B.
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