The World of Emperor Gon of Carthage
"Neanderthals"
Emperor Gon of Carthage
October 8, 2001
Neanderthals
Part 6
6. Extinction
The Neanderthals who had spread throughout the Middle East and Central Asia died out some 28,000 years ago. The ones who replaced them were the modern Homo sapiens, the Cro-Magnons. The Cro-Magnons rapidly spread throughout Europe. It is now believed that they are the direct ancestors of modern Europeans.
Then why did Neanderthals die out?
In Europe, since Cro-Magnons had replaced them, it is thought that the Neanderthals could not survive through their struggle for existence. We cannot declare for a fact that there were no mixing of the Neanderthals and the Cro-Magnons. But since only few fossils showing neutral features were found, it is thought that mixture of blood was limited to small numbers, if any.
Judging from their defeat in their struggle for existence, there must have been some reasons that worked as disadvantage which the Cro-Magnons did not have.
Many anthropologists think the intelligence of the Neanderthals was inferior to that of the Cro-Magnons. But as I had mentioned, it is clear that the inferiority of the Neanderthals' intelligence could not be the reason for their extinction.
Then what could have been the disadvantage that the Neanderthals had and Cro-Magnons did not have?
Translated by Rie Ishida
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