For decades, scientists have been trying to unravel the mystery surrounding the extinction of Neanderthal, ancient humans, in contrast to the established presence of modern humans.
Different studies offered different insights regarding increasing competition, the coming of the Ice Age, and climate change that led to the mysterious extinction of the Neanderthals.
A new study conducted by Ariane Burke, professor of anthropology at the Université de Montréal and head of the Hominin Dispersals Research Group in Quebec, offers new insight based on the digital ecology approach.
“Obviously we don’t have precise demographic data for populations that lived 35,000 years ago, so we used ethnographic data from better-documented ancient hunter-gatherer groups to set parameters for the geomatics tools and generate these models,” Burke explains.
During the research, the team focused on Europe during the last ice age, between 60,000 and 35,000 years ago. This period is important because of the dramatic climate shifts and the rise of modern humans.
The study’s findings suggest that reasons such as direct fierce competition and climatic conditions alone are not responsible for putting the Neanderthal at risk of extinction.
Instead, their extinction has been shaped by a combination of factors, including climate, social ties, geography and population dynamics.
According to the researchers, the areas inhabited by Homo sapiens were more connected than those of Neanderthals. It is therefore not wrong to assume that connectivity and social networks were of great importance.
Burke explained that people connected with social ties can better ward off environmental, demographic and ecological challenges because these networks act as a safety net in times of crisis.
He said: “They enable the exchange of information on animal resources and migrations, the formation of partnerships and temporary access to other areas in the event of a crisis.”
The data did not show that the Neanderthals were isolated, but that they suffered from weaker and less reliable ties.
The study also recognizes the role of climate variability, which puts old people at high risk. The disappearance of the Neanderthal was also caused by harsh climate changes, population pressure and social structures.
“In western areas, the arrival of Homo sapiens may have caused additional stress, especially for Neanderthal populations that were already demographically vulnerable,” the researchers said.
“Because the two species were able to produce offspring together, their interactions were likely complex, involving competition, occasional interbreeding and other subtle population dynamics,” she added.
The findings also shed light on how important social bonds have been to human survival throughout history. Intelligence and technology alone cannot save humanity.
