Neanderthals and Us

The Humans Who Went Extinct: Why Neanderthals Died Out and We Survived by Clive Finlayson

It is commonly thought the Homo sapiens are somehow superior to the Neanderthals, that somehow our species “beat” theirs, either by crowding them out or outsmarting them.  But really, it was chance that led modern day humans to dominate the world.  Chance is a huge part of evolution, and one that should not be discounted.

The Neanderthals were built like wrestlers, tough and large, and therefore adapted well to the woodsy areas of northern Eurasia.  Here they could easily hunt their prey, and long distance running was not necessary. 

About 30,000 years ago,  the forests of Eurasia receded, and tundras and steppes took their place. 

Suddenly being built tough and slow was no longer an advantage, but rather lean endurance and speed were essential to hunt animals who were more dispersed across treeless areas.  Enter the Homo sapiens, who had evolved in the planes of Africa and were better adapted to these conditions.

The success of modern day humans, and “beating out” the Neanderthals, was due to an environmental quirk that could easily have gone a different way.

This is a perfect example of evolution: the best fit in the environment, wins.  We are nought but accidents, just like every currently living creature on earth.