The neanderthal nose: reconstruction of shape, function and adaptations
The project N-SPIRE addresses the topic of human adaptation to climate, through the study of the morphology and function of the nose in the extinct human species Homo neanderthalensis. The ever-increasing debate around the global climate change brings along a discussion on the biological response of human populations to it. The Neanderthals are a major case study: several authors have been proposing climate as the driver of the adaptations for the species, as well as a possible cause for its extinction. N-SPIRE will use a multidisciplinary approach to reconstruct the shape and function of the Neanderthal nose. The project will rely on the only preserved nasal cavity of the human fossil record, that of the Neanderthal known as “Altamura Man”, from Southern Italy. Its 3D model is one of the main subjects of the research, together with a large digital cranial sample including both fossil and modern humans. The inner structure of the nasal cavity of Altamura will allow investigating structures previously unknown in Neanderthals. It will be finalised and tested to provide a starting point for the reconstruction of soft tissues by biomedical engineering, that will be the subject of a secondment in the UK. Subsequently, it will be designed a protocol to model the airflow in the reconstructed fossil nasal cavity. The candidate will be trained in: i) digital techniques for the study of fossils; ii) use of technologies for digital acquisition of skeletal collections; iii) computational techniques for the nasal cavity reconstruction and the simulation of nasal airflow; iv) paleoclimate of the Mid-to-Late Pleistocene of Europe. N-SPIRE is aimed at the reconstruction of the evolutionary and functional aspects of the Neanderthal nose and to ultimately investigate the possible functional adaptations related to moisture, pressure, and temperature of the air. The comparison with modern humans will help to identify possible convergent adaptations between these and the Neanderthals.