Neanderthals Didn't Have Them - So Why Did Human Chins Evolve?

Monday, April 13, 2015 - 16:40 in Paleontology & Archaeology

When you look at a primate or neanderthal skull and compare it to modern humans, it is immediately noticeable that we have a feature they are missing.In fact, it's missing from all other species: A chin.Why do we? A new study finds that our chins didn't come from mechanical forces such as chewing, but instead results from an evolutionary adaptation involving face size and shape, possibly linked to changes in hormone levels as we became more societally domesticated. If true, it would settle a debate that's gone on for more than a century, and anthropology would have solved it rather than biology. read more

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