The Neandertals: Changing the Image of Mankind

Erik Trinkaus, Mary Tileston Hemenway Professor of Physical Anthropology at Washington University, is considered by many to be the world's most influential scholar of Neandertal biology and evolution. Trinkaus' research is concerned with the evolution of our genus as a background to recent human diversity. In this, he has focused on the paleoanthropology of late archaic and early modern humans, emphasizing biological reflections of the nature, degree and patterning of the behavioral shifts between these two groups of Pleistocene humans. This research includes considerations of the "origins of modern humans" debate, interpretations of the archeological record, and patterns of recent human anatomical variation. In 1999, Trinkaus and an international team of scientists documented that Neandertals roamed central Europe as recently as 28,000 years ago -- the latest date ever recorded for Neandertal fossils worldwide. The team's findings could force other scientists to rethink theories of Neandertal extinction, intelligence and contributions to the human gene pool. A member of the National Academy of Sciences, Trinkaus is frequently quoted in the popular media. Pat Shipman is a freelance writer and Professor of Anthropology at The Pennsylvania State University. Her research has focused on human origins, paleontology and anthropology and she has published more than 100 articles on human evolution. She is the author of The Wisdom of Bones, which was awarded the Rhone-Poulenc Prize. The Man who found The Missing Link was named as one of the notable books of the year by the Los Angeles Times in 2001. She is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and of the Royal Geographical Society.