The extinction of the Neanderthals has long intrigued researchers, and new studies are beginning to provide answers. Around 37,000 years ago, Neanderthals lived in small groups in what is now southern Spain. The eruption of the Phlegraean Fields in Italy, which occurred thousands of years earlier, may have profoundly affected their lives by disrupting food chains throughout the Mediterranean region.
At that time, they were still making stone tools, eating birds and mushrooms, creating ornaments with feathers and shells, and carving symbols on rocks. However, they were unaware that they were among the last of their species. The end of the Neanderthals began many thousands of years earlier, when these groups became isolated and dispersed, which eventually led to the end of an existence that had lasted almost half a million years in inhospitable regions of Eurasia.
By 34,000 years ago, Neanderthals were already extinct, but because they coexisted with modern humans for thousands of years, archaeologists have wondered whether our species played a role in their demise. This impact could have been direct, such as through conflict and warfare, or indirect, such as through the spread of disease or competition for resources.
Research suggests that a combination of factors contributed to the demise of Neanderthals
competition between groups, inbreeding, and, indeed, the presence of modern humans. Neanderthals were far more advanced than previously thought: they made sophisticated tools, may have created art, decorated their bodies, and buried their dead.
Archaeological evidence suggests that Neanderthals and modern humans coexisted for at least 2,600 years in Europe, and perhaps as long as 7,000 years. During this period, the Neanderthal population was already in decline, with low genetic diversity and small groups.
Studies indicate that inbreeding in Neanderthals resulted in harmful mutations, affecting the survival of their descendants. On the other hand, modern humans expanded rapidly throughout Europe. In addition, Neanderthals faced many difficulties, such as periods of harsh climate and changes in the landscape, and still survived. It was with the arrival of Homo sapiens that they finally succumbed.
Although there is evidence of violence in Neanderthal skeletons, such as fractures and wounds that suggest fighting, there is no definitive proof that modern humans were responsible for such aggressions. The theory that diseases brought by modern humans contributed to the disappearance of Neanderthals is also not supported by robust genetic evidence.
Competition for resources is another possibility. The more developed cognitive and language skills of Homo sapiens may have given them an advantage in tasks such as hunting and gathering. Neanderthals, because they lived in more isolated groups, may have had difficulty innovating and sharing knowledge.
Neanderthals also came under great pressure as Homo sapiens advanced across Eurasia. During this time, there was a cultural explosion, with an increase in personal adornments and symbols that may have indicated the formation of group identities.
Finally, the idea that Neanderthals were assimilated by our species is gaining traction. Genetic studies show that there was gene flow between Neanderthals and modern humans, suggesting that some Neanderthals were incorporated into our population, but this does not mean that all were “absorbed.” Each group of Neanderthals probably had different fates: some perished, others interacted and exchanged knowledge, while others were genetically assimilated.
The story of the extinction of the Neanderthals does not have a single answer. Each group faced different fates, and the question “Why did the Neanderthals disappear does not have a simple explanation. The reality is that their extinction was a multifaceted process, with no common fate for all.
Publicado em 10/13/2024 22h34
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