Quiz: Neanderthal features in modern humans

In the 1980s scientists debating human origins developed the "African Origins Model" or "Out of Africa With Replacement" theory, which stated that all non-Africans are descended from a few people who left Africa and replaced all existing archaic humans as they colonized the world.

Hybrid human-Neanderthal skulls like that found at Manot, Israel, suggest replacement sometimes gave way to assimilation.

When the Neanderthal-only occipital bun—a bony "bump" at the back of the head—was seen in an otherwise modern human skull, it was evidence that the two species had interbred.

Question: Which of the following skulls could be a modern human + Neanderthal hybrid?

skull outline
skull outline
skull outline

Try again.

This is the skull of a Neanderthal: at the back of the skull is a bony bump known as the occipital bun.

Try again.

This skill has no occipital bun: no bony bump at the back of the skull. This is the skull of a modern human.

Correct!

This skull is slightly elongated and has a bony bump at the back of the skull called the occipital bun: a feature normally seen in Neanderthals.

This skull is also relatively high and rounded like that of a modern human, giving it the appearance of being a human-Neanderthal hybrid.

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