Modern human versus Neandertal evolutionary distinctiveness

This paper combines observations gathered in the course of decades of professional activity. Particularly impressive are the large set of phenotypic data that Trinkaus was able to investigate(including variants of cranial, dental, and postcranial traits) and the effort made in selecting the relevant features for his purposes. Possible criticisms might focus on the very general outline portrayed as a “consensus view” about the evolution of the genus Homo (which is really too general and in some passages subjective), the decision to disregard architectural cranial shape in favour of “truly unique characters”(which appears rather questionable), and the sorting of features in terms of a distinction between the “primary traits” versus the “secondary consequences” of their combination/s (which, again, appears questionable). Nevertheless, I am not surprised by Trinkaus’ conclusion...