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19h ago
Scientists think they finally know why Neanderthals vanished
- New study suggests Neanderthals vanished due to weaker, regionally limited networks and not just climate or competition.
- Homo sapiens formed stronger, more flexible social networks that helped them survive environmental shocks.
- Researchers used habitat models and ethnographic data to map core regions capable of sustaining stable populations.
- Climate variability, not just average conditions, played a major role in population outcomes.
- The study focuses on Europe during the last glacial cycle, dating 60,000 to 35,000 years ago.
- Inter-regional connectivity enabled Homo sapiens to exchange resources and information during crises.
- Neanderthals showed evidence of some regional connections but weaker overall networks.
- The two species interacted with complex dynamics, including competition and occasional interbreeding.
- Western Europe’s connected core regions may have helped Homo sapiens persist longer than Neanderthals.
- The study links social structure with long-term survival, beyond intelligence or technology.
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