Playing God with Neanderthals

Sort of. I see a sentient human being,

This sort of thinking has been popular in anthropological circles for a long time.The problem is there isn't really any evidence to support the claims.Did we have more sophisticated language than neanderthals? No evidence for or against.Are our tools more "artistic"? Opinion. Further, it doesn't carry any weight.It is true that we painted cave walls and they didn't. But does that mean they never created art? For all we know they could have been the world's greatest wittlers.We know they had religion. We know they were doing things with bear skulls which serve no functional purpose and therefore are artistic.The primary reason that we survived while they didn't was that the environment in which they had lived for so long was changing faster than they could adapt to it.Neanderthals were supremely well adapted to the cold and to killing big game animals in upclose attacks.They could thrust a spear through a mastadon no problem.What they could not do was throw a spear and hit a deer.Morphologically, they were set up to take down big game once in a while and use that to feed the clan. We are set up to take down medium to small game often in order to feed our clan.When the weather changed, the ratio of small to big game changed with it. Neanderthals disappeared for the same reasons the big game disappeared, they no longer fit that environment.The question then becomes - will this new Neanderthal have a problem surviving in our environment.I would suggest not. I can't hunt down and kill anything, I have absolutely no problem getting food.

As for the first cloned individual, I think the situation should be handled delicately. Keep him separated from common society and the paparazzi ('cause face it, this guy (or girl) would be something of a celebrity). Let the researchers raise him within a comfortable environment, taking note of whatever differences might make it hard for him to integrate with society. Sure, he may not get to live a public life, but he would never have to work, and he'd be provided with everything he could possibly need.