In honor of Darwin Week from Feb. 8-13, the College celebrated the life of scientist Charles Darwin, who died more than 120 years ago.
Darwin contributed theories of evolution and natural selection to science. In honor of his 201st birthday, the College put on the 10th annual Darwin Week, which featured lectures and presentations by experts in the scientific
community.
Dr. David Frayer from the University of Kansas lectured about research on the Neanderthal and its relationship to modern human beings. Frayer has worked on fossils from all over the world, but mostly focuses on Neanderthal fossils from Croatia.
Neanderthals are defined as an extinct human species or subspecies living during the late Pleistocene Epoch throughout most of Europe and parts of Asia and northern Africa and associated with Middle Paleolithic tools, according to dictionary.com. Used as a slang adjective, it is a crude, boorish or slow-witted person.
       Frayer faces a stigma against Neanderthals in his work.
“What could be worse than being called a Neanderthal?” said Frayer. “It’s an awful insult to be called a Neanderthal. Perhaps not so much in Charleston, but it’s a very common insult up in the northern states.”
During his lecture, Frayer said that the first Neanderthal remains were recovered 153 years ago and that there was a consensus that scientists agreed that they could not be related to homo sapiens.
       “Who would want to be related to Neanderthals with depictions like ‘The Neanderthal Man,’” said Frayer, “where we see a Neanderthal ravishing a helpless white woman, and the worst movie ever, ‘Encino Man?’ They are not as they are portrayed in the movies.”
       Frayer gave evidence on the relationship between Neanderthals and modern humans. He went over the past findings of scientists like Marcellin Boule, a French paleontologist who said that Neanderthals were nothing more than “brutish, bent-kneed and not fully erect bipeds,” and that the jaw found with the Neanderthal remains in fact belonged to an ape.
It was because of these assertions that Neanderthals were viewed as highly primitive creatures. Frayer works to improve the Neanderthal’s image and show the world that they are less primitive than most people think.
“Neanderthals could actually communicate with each other,” Frayer said. “There were findings that they could not say ah, e, o or ou [certain sounds]. But, a new reconstruction of the bones found that they have the same vocal tracks as modern humans.”
       Further evidence given by Frayer included the findings in Alapuerca, a site in northern Spain, where remains were found that were thought to be ancestors to Neanderthals. Based on findings at this site, it was discovered that these fossils were predominately right-handed, just like modern humans. “Many share capabilities and behaviors of Neanderthals and us,” said Frayer.
Frayer’s lecture was just one day of the Darwin Week festivities. The lecture given by philosopher Richard Nunan and local Rev. Bert Keller looked to see if living with Darwin means living without a Providentialist God. There were also debates and films covering all aspects of Darwin’s work.
For more information on Darwin and Darwin Week visit http://dillonr.people.cofc.edu/DarwinWeekX.htm.