對尼安德特人胸部的重建，發現與現代人的不同

論文標題：3D virtual reconstruction of the Kebara 2 Neandertal thorax

作者：Asier Gómez-Olivencia,Alon Barash, Daniel García-Martínez, Mikel Arlegi, Patricia Kramer, Markus Bastir, Ella Been

數字識別碼： 10.1038/s41467-018-06803-z

《自然-通訊》近日發表的一項研究3D virtual reconstruction of the Kebara 2 Neandertal thorax對一名成年男性尼安德特人的胸部進行了虛擬三維重建。分析顯示，尼安德特人的胸部大小與現代人的胸部大小相似，但形狀不同。基於這一發現，作者推斷尼安德特人的呼吸機制可能與現代人的呼吸機制稍有不同。

圖1：成年尼安德特人Kebara 2的胸部重建。圖源：Gómez-Olivencia, A. Barash & E. Been

自150多年前首次發現尼安德特人的肋骨以來，科學界對尼安德特人的胸部大小和形狀一直存在爭議。有些觀點認為尼安德特人的胸部形態與現代人無異，有些則認為其具有顯著差異。

圖2：尼安德特人Kebara 2被發現時的骨架照片。圖源：J. Trueba/Madrid Scientific Films

西班牙巴斯克大學的Asier Gómez-Olivencia及同事對迄今發現最完整的成年尼安德特人Kebara 2（K2）的胸部進行了重建，發現重建後的胸廓大小與現代人的相似，但下段更寬。

作者指出，K2胸部下段直徑較大導致了橫隔膜表面也更大。分析顯示，下段較寬的胸腔在吸氣時體積會產生更多增量（呼吸量）。作者因此假定，尼安德特人的呼吸機制相比現代人更依賴橫隔膜收縮。

圖3：生活在緬甸白堊紀時期的蛙類藝術重建圖。圖源：Damir G Martin

作者指出，只有發現更多化石並開展進一步研究才能理解這一解剖部位的演化。

摘要：The size and shape of the Neandertal thorax has been debated since the first discovery of Neandertal ribs more than 150 years ago, with workers proposing different interpretations ranging from a Neandertal thoracic morphology that is indistinguishable from modern humans, to one that was significantly different from them. Here, we provide a virtual 3D reconstruction of the thorax of the adult male Kebara 2 Neandertal. Our analyses reveal that the Kebara 2 thorax is significantly different but not larger from that of modern humans, wider in its lower segment, which parallels his wide bi-iliac breadth, and with a more invaginated vertebral column. Kinematic analyses show that rib cages that are wider in their lower segment produce greater overall size increments (respiratory capacity) during inspiration. We hypothesize that Neandertals may have had a subtle, but somewhat different breathing mechanism compared to modern humans.

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