WHY HOMO SAPIENS SURVIVED AND NEANDERTHAL DIED OUT?

Neanderthal was a subspecies of Homo sapiens, the species to which modern humans belong, it had occupied Europe and parts of western Asia during the middle Paleolithic period, 230 000 to 30 000 years ago. All the Neanderthals are heavily built but those from Western Europe are mostly robust. Homo sapiens appeared 195 000 years ago.

Neanderthals were very focused in whatever they were doing all the time and they lived in small groups, on the other side Homo sapiens lived in collection of several family groups. Even though Neanderthals were known to be the top predators they did not survive because they were 100% carnivorous, they finally lacked food as it was possible for them to hunt nothing for a day or two and this resulted in their extinct.

Neanderthals became extinct by 20 000 years ago. There are possibilities that they were destroyed by modern human or they disappeared through interbreeding or a physical inability to use stone tools or they lacked failed to survive the increasingly harsh winters. Homo sapiens survived because they were the omnivorous, therefore, their food were always available. They also survived the harsh environment.

Indeed there is extinction of Neanderthals, because all the humans lived today are pure Homo sapiens even though anthropologist does concede that the interbreeding between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens may have occurred, but according to the genetic test none of their descendents seem to have survived. The dominant species of Homo sapiens were successful in harsh environment.

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Ms Evelyn Maleka
CILLA CSIR
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