Scientists have long wondered what caused the extinction of Neanderthals, our human cousins who lived in Eurasia for over 300,000 years. While it was once believed that competition with early Homo sapiens led to their demise, new research suggests that a key difference in metabolism may have played a significant role. Neanderthals were more muscular than early humans, which would have required them to burn more calories to sustain their bodily functions. This means they would have needed more food to survive, especially during times of scarcity. When early humans arrived in Europe around 45,000 years ago, they may have competed with Neanderthals for resources, putting them at a disadvantage. This, combined with the added stress of a harsh climate shift, may have ultimately led to the Neanderthals' extinction.
Here are the key facts from the text:
1. In 1994, the bones of a family of Neanderthals were discovered in El Sidrón cave in northwest Spain.
2. The bones date to around 49,000 years ago, not long before the final days of the Neanderthals.
3. The remains show signs of starvation and nutritional stress throughout their lives.
4. The Neanderthals were probably cannibalized.
5. Neanderthal remains no longer appear in the archaeological record just a few thousand years after their deaths.
6. Neanderthals became extinct.
7. Neanderthals lived in Eurasia for more than 300,000 years.
8. Neanderthals were expert tool makers, using materials like stone, wood, and animal bone.
9. Neanderthals were skilled hunters and foragers.
10. Neanderthals may have created cave art.
11. Homo sapiens first arrived in Europe around 45,000 years ago.
12. Homo sapiens and Neanderthals are very similar and could interbreed.
13. Neanderthals were slightly shorter than the average Homo sapiens and were probably stockier.
14. Neanderthals had dense muscles, indicated by their shorter, thicker, and chunkier bones.
15. Neanderthals were more muscular than the average human at the time or the average human now.
16. Neanderthals had a highly active daily life, often doing strenuous activities.
17. Neanderthals were adapted to powerful sprinting rather than long-distance running.
18. Neanderthals' lower leg bones were shorter in proportion to their thigh bone than in Homo sapiens.
19. Neanderthals' DNA suggests that they were built to be muscular.
20. Neanderthals' genome contains many genetic variants linked to high-level performance in power sports.
21. Neanderthals burned through a lot of energy due to their big muscles.
22. Researchers have estimated that Neanderthals needed to eat a couple hundred more calories per day than the average human.
23. Neanderthals needed more food resources than a human population of the same size to survive, reproduce, and keep their population numbers up.
24. Neanderthals lived through several periods of cold, dry temperatures during the 300,000 or so years before humans arrived.
25. A major climate shift after Homo sapiens migrated into Europe caused long periods of cold, dry climate with severe winters.
26. Neanderthals may have endured long periods of near starvation.
27. The bones of the El Sidrón Neanderthals have cut marks and breaks on them that indicate their bodies were butchered with stone tools.
28. The only types of stone tools present are a kind typically made by Neanderthals.
29. Archaeological evidence for Homo sapiens in that region of Spain doesn't show up until later in time.
30. It was probably a different Neanderthal group desperate for food that at least partially consumed the El Sidrón family.
31. Evidence for Neanderthal cannibalism has also been found at sites in France and Belgium.
32. The ultimate cause of the disappearance of the Neanderthals is still an open question.
33. Several different causes probably all contributed to the disappearance of the Neanderthals.
34. Neanderthals thrived in their environments for hundreds of thousands of years.
35. Archaeological evidence shows that Neanderthals were making similar tool technologies and behaving in similar ways to ancient humans for a lot of the time that the two groups both lived in Europe.