From WILLIAM R. HALE
Neanderthals are alleged to have posteriorly placed, and therefore,
inferior hip joints (Science, New Scientist, 27 April). As an orthopaedist,
I deal with hip and low back alignment on a daily basis. I have always bemoaned
the fact that most humans require an extreme hyperextension at the lower
lumbar joints so as to stand fully erect by increasing the lumbar curvature.
This has the effect of closing the neural foramina posteriorly and placing
the disc spaces on an oblique angle. In no other way can we get our hip
joints under the line of our body weight. We are, in fact incompletely adapted
to the upright stance and, for this, Homo sapiens must suffer forever with
a high degree of low back pain, leg cramps and premature disability.
To me it stands to reason that a joint should face its working surface.
For a vertical stance the joint should be more posterior and face inferiorly
and not 30 degrees anteriorly as in Homo sapiens. It would seem by this
reasoning that the Neanderthal’s hip joints were better evolved than Homo
sapiens, and he should have a better hip and back alignment, suffer less
back pain and suffer less hip disease. From other sources I am told that
Neanderthals had a larger brain and the females larger pelves. The creatures
were extremely heavily muscled.
The important question is, how did an obviously inferior creature, such
as Homo sapiens, root out these creatures? Would that we could resurrect
and incorporate some of these obviously superior genes into the human genome.
Maybe the reason they are gone is that they were just ugly and nobody liked
them.
William A. Kale Pomona, California, USA
Advertisement
