Obsolete Theorem
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There is one interesting factor that might make it difficult for Lincoln and Skyra to produce offspring, but it requires a bit of explanation. First, our DNA includes nuclear DNA and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). The nuclear DNA is found inside the nucleus of the cell, whereas the mtDNA is found only in the mitochondria of the cell. It is important to know that the nuclear DNA is passed to the offspring from both the mother and father, but the mtDNA is passed to the offspring only from the mother. Why is this important? Because scientists cannot find any Neanderthal mtDNA in humans. This could lead us to conclude that all DNA in humans today came from pairings of Neanderthal males with human females, and that would imply that pairings of Neanderthal females with human males produced sterile offspring or no offspring at all. If that were true, then Skyra and Lincoln could not produce offspring. However, there are other things that could explain why modern humans do not have Neanderthal mtDNA. For example, it’s possible that Neanderthal females and human males did not mate because of some cultural reason (in other words, they chose not to mate because it was a taboo, or something like that). Another possibility is that there actually used to be humans with Neanderthal mtDNA, but their lineages died out at some point. Still there is one other possibility (which I think is likely), that modern humans actually do carry at least one Neanderthal mtDNA lineage, but we have not yet sequenced that lineage in humans or in Neanderthals, so we simply do not know about it yet. So, I think it is quite possible that Lincoln and Skyra could produce offspring, if they wanted to. We know that Ripple definitely wants them to produce offspring. Maybe Ripple knows something we don’t know…?
Did Neanderthals actually sing? We cannot know this for sure, of course, based on fossil remains. Perhaps the question we need to examine first is, could Neanderthals even talk? There are two things that make me believe they probably had language and could speak. First, they did complex things that might require language. Neanderthals hunted big, dangerous animals (such as cave bears, woolly mammoths, and woolly rhinos). Successfully hunting these creatures would be much easier if the hunters were able to communicate concisely and quickly with each other. Also, their complex tools could have required language to teach each other how to make them. Second, their bone structure and DNA suggest they may have had language. For example, fossil evidence of Neanderthal hyoid bones suggests that their hyoid bones (and therefore their voice boxes) were very similar to those of modern humans. There is also some genetic evidence as well as brain capacity evidence that they may have had language.
If we conclude that Neanderthals had language, can we also assume they could sing? Not necessarily, but it certainly is possible (and to me seems likely). The oldest musical instruments found are dated at 40,000 years old (Skyra lived 47,000 years ago). But these instruments were complex enough that we can assume that precursors to these instruments were developed much earlier but simply haven’t been found. Also, it seems reasonable to assume singing evolved before the development of instruments. Overall, it is very reasonable to assume humans were singing long before Skyra’s time. The question is, did Neanderthals sing? Here’s something to consider. Many carnivores hunt in packs, live in groups, and are very social. They mark and defend their territories in many ways, including complex vocalizations (such as wolves). This behavior is also seen in many primates (howler monkeys are a great example). Researchers have proposed that the evolution of human music is rooted in these complex territory defense behaviors, particularly the vocalizations. In other words, human singing could have had its roots in the same type of behavior as the howling of wolves. It seems reasonable to assume that this could have also occurred in Neanderthals, don’t you think? Anyway, Skyra can definitely sing quite beautifully, although her singing does not involve lyrics, at least not in a way that Lincoln could recognize.
Did Neanderthals have cultural traditions like those in Skyra’s Una-Loto tribe? No one knows. We can only assume that they did, particularly if they had language. The tradition of celebrating ilmekho of women when they reach the age of twenty is entirely from my imagination. Sometimes it is assumed that Neanderthals had shorter natural life spans than humans, but there is little evidence to support this (although I’m sure they suffered more from predation and conflict). Scientists assume that the females reached sexual maturity at about the same time as modern humans. Also, it seems reasonable to me that, if the females suffered high mortality rates when impregnated at a young age, Neanderthal tribes might have developed a tradition of avoiding pregnancy until a later age, perhaps even twenty.
What about the animals? Did all those creatures really live in Spain 467,000 years ago? Yep, all of them. Woolly rhinos, cave bears, ibex, cave hyenas, cave lions, scimitar-toothed cats (Homotherium), reindeer, giant elk, aurochs, bison, pika, badgers, woolly mammoths, lynx, hedgehogs, and many others not mentioned in the story. Neanderthals hunted many of these creatures, including the largest and most dangerous ones. Neanderthals were kind of badass, don’t you agree?
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Acknowledgments
I am not capable of creating a book such as this on my own. I have the following people, among others, to thank for their assistance.
First I wish to thank Monique Agueros for her help with editing. She has a keen eye for typos, poorly structured sentences, misplaced commas, and errors of logic. If you find a sentence or detail in the book that doesn’t seem right, it is likely because I failed to implement one of her suggestions.
My wife Trish is always the first to read my work, and therefore she has the burden of seeing my stories in their roughest form. Thankfully, she kindly points out where things are a mess. Her suggestions are what get the editing process started. She also helps with various promotional efforts. And finally, she not only tolerates my obsession with writing, she actually encourages it.
I also owe thanks to those on my Advance Reviewer team. They were able to point out numerous typos and inconsistencies, and they are all-around fabulous people!
Finally, I am thankful to all the independent freelance designers out there who provide quality work for independent authors such as myself. Jake Caleb Clark (www.jcalebdesign.com) created the awesome cover for Obsolete Theorem.
About the Author
Stan Smith has lived most of his life in the Midwest United States and currently resides with his wife Trish in a house deep in an Ozark forest in Missouri. He writes adventure novels that have a generous sprinkling of science fiction. His novels and stories are about regular people who find themselves caught up in highly unusual situations. They are designed to stimulate your sense of wonder, get your heart pounding, and keep you reading late into the night, with minimal risk of exposure to spelling and punctuation errors. His books are for anyone who loves adventure, discovery, and mind-bending surprises.
Stan’s Author Website
http://www.stancsmith.com
Feel free to email Stan at: stan@stancsmith.com
He loves hearing from readers and will answer every email.
Also by Stan C. Smith
The DIFFUSION series
Diffusion
Infusion
Profusion
Savage
Blue Arrow
The BRIDGERS series
Bridgers 1: The Lure of Infinity
Bridgers 2: The Cost of Survival
Bridgers 3: The Voice of Reason
Bridgers 4: The Mind of Many
Bridgers 5: The Trial of Extinction
Bridgers 6: The Bond of Absolution
INFINITY: A Bridger’s Origin
The ACROSS HORIZONS series
1: Obsolete Theorem
2. Foregone Conflict
Stand-alone Stories
Parthenium’s Year