Neanderthal pelvis study suggests modern male anatomy is the evolutionary outlier

Researchers led by Tel Aviv University have proposed that the modern human male pelvis is an evolutionary outlier rather than the Neanderthal pelvis. A study published in ‘Scientific Reports’ suggests that the Neanderthal pelvic configuration represents a retained ancestral form.

By comparing two nearly complete Neanderthal male pelvises—one from Kebara Cave in Israel and another from Sima de los Huesos in Spain—with dozens of modern human pelvises, the team found that Neanderthal males more closely resemble modern human females in most measurements and proportions.

The study identifies a specific difference in the position of the acetabula, or hip sockets. In modern human males, these sockets are positioned further forward on the pelvic ring than in either modern females or male Neanderthals. This shift, along with a shorter, thicker superior pubic ramus, may have developed as a biomechanical system to improve the efficiency of long-distance walking by acting as a shock absorber.