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Handedness in Neanderthals

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Neanderthal Lifeways, Subsistence and Technology

Part of the book series: Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology Series ((VERT))

Abstract

The question of manual laterality in extinct hominins has long interested archeologists and paleoanthropologists. It is possible to approach this question using the fossil and archeological records. By drawing on several different categories of evidence, a more complete picture of Neanderthal handedness emerges. This shows that Neanderthals produced lateralized use-wear on stone and bone tools, made asymmetrical retouch patterns on artifacts, had strongly asymmetrical upper limbs, and display tooth striations consistent with right-handedness. The diverse categories of evidence all indicate a bias to the right side, which suggests that the Neanderthals were right-handed in high proportions just as are living people. It is the most robust and reliable evidence for prehistoric handedness out of all hominin species and it indicates the Neanderthals showed the population-level right-side bias that is a characteristic feature of humankind.

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Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Drs von Koenigswald, Condemi, Litt, and Schrenk, the organizers of the meeting, for the opportunity to present my work at the fascinating conference in Bonn, “150 Years Neanderthal”. The knapping experiments were funded by generous grants from the Lejre Historical-Archeological Center, Denmark. Gratitude also goes to Bill McGrew, James Steele, and an anonymous reviewer for critical comments on an earlier draft of this paper.

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  1. School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, University of Liverpool, Hartley Building, Liverpool, L69 3GS, UK

    Natalie T. Uomini

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  1. Natalie T. Uomini
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Correspondence to Natalie T. Uomini .

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  1. Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte und Archäologie des Mittelalters Abteilung Ältere Urgeschichte und Quartärökologie, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Schloss Hohentübingen, 72070, Tübingen, Germany

    Nicholas J. Conard

  2. Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte, Universität zu Köln, Weyertal 125, 50923, Köln, Germany

    Jürgen Richter

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Uomini, N.T. (2011). Handedness in Neanderthals. In: Conard, N.J., Richter, J. (eds) Neanderthal Lifeways, Subsistence and Technology. Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0415-2_14

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