Having thickened cranial vault bones, per heavily built face, thick-boned jaws, and thick postcranial bones may have been necessary, or at least an advantage, for the body puro cope with these long lifespans

Some creationists see environmental factors and genetic effects, such as the founder effect, genetic drift, and inbreeding, as most likely sufficient esatto explain the differences con skeletal features between modern humans and so-called cavemen. 37 It has been proposed that there was a period of rapid human diversification beginning during the construction of Babel, resulting con extreme morphological variability durante post-Babel humans repopulating the earth. 38,39 Other creationists believe the stark difference in morphology between robust and anatomically modern humans warrants an explanation a qualora, that is, not just an acknowledgment that there was considerable variation durante features, but why.

Per subject of importance onesto the creation model is explaining why the skeletons, particularly the skulls, of humans such as Homo erectus (as well as those classified as Neandertals and Homo heidelbergensis), were so rugged or robust compared preciso anatomically modern humans

As such, it has been suggested that Homo erectus, Neandertals and the like all arose coraggio ‘devolution’ from anatomically modern post-Babel populations-from the genetic consequences of inbreeding, drift, and mutational effects, after splitting off from anatomically modern humans. 40 However, this would have puro have happened independently, per a relatively short time, con many different parts of the world, which seems a little too coincidental esatto be realistic.

Along with a number of other creationists who have contemplated this issue, I consider the robust human forms, such as those with the features observed per the typical Homo erectus and Neandertal remains, onesto con general be non-pathological. As such, they were likely humans that were part of the original dispersion that occurred at Babel. Hence, an explanation that is worth considering is that the robust morphology observed in these humans is linked puro longevity. According preciso creationist Carl Wieland:

Hence, one explanation why humans such as Homo erectus, Homo heidelbergensis, and Neandertals, had different morphology compared onesto modern humans, particularly sopra the skull, is that it could reflect changes con development of these early post-Flood individuals, compared preciso modern humans, possibly linked sicuro longevity. 42 A factor that cannot be ignored durante verso creationist model of human origins is the biblical long lifespans of individuals in the pre-Flood world, and esatto some extent the early post-Flood earth, as derived from Old Testament records. Con the pre-Flood world lifespans of around 900 years appear to have been common, and even individuals born early post-Flood (within verso few hundred years of the Flood having occurred) are recorded as having lived for hundreds of years. 43,44

If initially (after the Fall) humans were designed onesto live for hundreds of years, then this would most likely have a bearing on development processes and timings. Simply put, longevity would probably be associated with changes sopra development, not just the aging process.

If longevity was linked sicuro development processes associated with the above-mentioned robusticity, then robust features would be expected puro disappear with shorter lifespans, although, as Wieland taccuino, “some of the genes coding for some of their distinctive bony anatomy were apparently passed on preciso some of today’s populations”. 45 Hence, robust features do not correlate with the potential for longevity durante recent times. A genetic mechanism for robusticity would possibly involve the control of hormones related esatto bone growth and maintenance. According onesto Susan Crockford, an evolutionary expert durante this sezione, the

Thyroxine (T4) is an important thyroid hormone, and verso certain thyroid hormone secretion pattern could have existed sopra people with robust skeletal morphology, such as Homo erectus and the Neandertals, linked puro the genetic mechanism for long lifespans. Add environmental influences, as well as genetic effects such as genetic drift, and you can possibly account for differences durante the many skeletal features observed. This would be not only between early robust post-Flood humans, like Homo erectus, Homo heidelbergensis, and the Neandertals, but also between anatomically modern humans and these early robust post-Flood humans.