Should Neanderthals be classified as a seperate species from modern humans or an extinct subspecies?

Question

Currently Neanderthals are classified as Homo neanderthalensis, however the were once classified as Homo sapiens neanderthalensis.

The fact is that they share over 99.5 percent of our DNA, making them closer to modern humans than wolves are to most breeds of dogs.

Just seems a little spurious to me that they are classified as a distinct species simply due to morphological differences and slightly less advanced tools.

Answer 1

I THINK there's a certain arbitrariness, and lack of consensus about when to call critters different species or just sub-species.

One criterion is whether they can breed together, and produce viable off-spring (that can themselves breed). I believe that, by this criterion, we ARE the same species, just different subs.

Dunno if this site will help, but it might address your question (in some of the links or other resources):

http://www.newscientist.com/channel/bein...

Answer 2

Neander is not a subspecies of Homo Sapien Sapien.

Neander was an evolutionary branch that was extincted by our arrival from the East somewhere around 100,000 years ago.

When we arrived we already had a different brain; it included a cortex which allowed us to process information differently (more efficiently) than Neander.

In order for Neamder to be a sub species of us...we would have to have peceeded him.

Answer 3

we prefer to be refered to as chromagnum men.

Answer 4

Theres this huge discussion i've read somwhere that, the neanderthal IS an extinct species.

But it has shared its Gene pool with ours too.

They claim that its in North west europe where the gene is most prominent.

Neanderthals had light hair,light eyes very deep set eyes.

And large projected noses.

Which is the uniqueness of todays "north" europeans, deeper set eyes,larger nose bridges and the only "race" of people in the world with colored eyes.

They say only like 4% of that Genepool is mixed and that is from Generations of millennia ago.

so neanderthal blood is only like .0000004%.

It is heavily debated, for people who say we all evolved from our subspecies from Africa.

And also, people of non european backgrounds also have some of those traits even though more rare than thier european counterparts..

whether it be from ancient interracial mixing or not..

I just thought it was somthing interesting to say here.

Answer 5

They branched off earlier than humans from a common ancestor, just as the Orang Utang branched off later.  All theree are separate species.  At one time there were around 500 separate species of Homonids.  Most were toolmakers.  About half used fire.  The fire-using group was about evenly divided between fire makers and the ones who just found and kept fires.

Answer 6

You have a good point, but that would be classifying evolution as a fact, which its not right now.  Its a theory.  If you think we have evolved and continue to evolve then they should technically be considered the same species.  They were humans that had yet to figure out how to kill the world and creater barriers like we do now.

Answer 7

Same phylum, order, class, but different species.

Answer 8

it depends on who you listen. i qualify them as an extinct separate species as we share genetic ancestors... much in the way that a robbin and a bluejay are different species.

Answer 9

yes. they are different i believe

Answer 10

Talk to a " lumper " and get one answer.

Talk to a " splitter " and get another.

When anthropology ( what is valid ) is reduced into biology we will settle it.