01-18-2006, 12:55 AM
Suprisingly, the answer is probably not.
Neanderthals existed between 230,000 and 30,000 years ago, and belong
to the species Hominids. About 30 years ago, some fossils were found,
in East Africa, that showed Hominid feet were arched, like ours today.
It may be possible that some Neanderthals were born flat footed, if as
today, the bones fused before birth, and it may have been that they
developed diseases of the nervous system. But generally speaking,
Neanderthals had a longitudinal arch structure. As Hominids walked
rough terrain, and not the flat cemented and carpeted floors that we
walk on today, probably were not overweight, and certainly did not
wear poorly fitting shoes it is probably unlikely they ever developed
flat feet during their lifetime.
Neanderthals existed between 230,000 and 30,000 years ago, and belong
to the species Hominids. About 30 years ago, some fossils were found,
in East Africa, that showed Hominid feet were arched, like ours today.
It may be possible that some Neanderthals were born flat footed, if as
today, the bones fused before birth, and it may have been that they
developed diseases of the nervous system. But generally speaking,
Neanderthals had a longitudinal arch structure. As Hominids walked
rough terrain, and not the flat cemented and carpeted floors that we
walk on today, probably were not overweight, and certainly did not
wear poorly fitting shoes it is probably unlikely they ever developed
flat feet during their lifetime.

