Research Professor
Department of Paleobiology
Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales CSIC

Abstract

In human evolution, morphological characters are often interpreted within the adaptationist paradigm. In Neanderthals, several skeletal traits are considered functional adaptations to masticatory biomechanics, respiratory physiology and locomotor behaviour in relation to subsistence patterns. However, these explanations are often based on oversimplified models of isolated and localised evolutionary processes. In turn, organism models consider morphological traits in terms of growth and developmental interactions and their relations to integration among different anatomical systems. They offer a complementary perspective and a better understanding of Pleistocene hominin evolution and paleobiology.