Insight into competitive advantage of modern humans over Neanderthals

EurekAlert! ^ | September 29, 2019 | Tohoku University

[SunkenCiv]

A team of Japanese and Italian researchers, including from Tohoku University, have evidenced mechanically delivered projectile weapons in Europe dating to 45,000-40,000 years - more than 20,000 years than previously thought. This study, entitled "The earliest evidence for mechanically delivered projectile weapons in Europe" published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, indicated that the spearthrower and bow-and-arrow technologies allowed modern humans to hunt more successfully than Neanderthals - giving them a competitive advantage. This discovery offered important insight to understand the reasons for the replacement of Neanderthals by modern humans.

Apparently, Neanderthals and modern humans coexisted in Europe for at least 5,000 years. However, little is known about why modern humans could increase their population size after migrating to Europe and successfully occupy new territories, while autochthonous Neanderthals went extinct ~ 40,000 years ago...

Furthermore, fourier transform-infrared (FTIR) spectromicroscopy of residues on several pieces demonstrate that the backed pieces were hafted using a complex adhesive, including ochre, plant gum, and beeswax, which stabilized the hafting. "Comparison with FTIR spectroscopy analyses of several red deposit and soil samples recovered from Grotta del Cavallo ruled out organic contaminants from the burial environment and confirmed the presence of ochre as a mixture of silicate and iron oxides", said Chiaramaria Stani (Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste).

[IndispensableDestiny]

Better hunters means more meat. More meat means bigger brains. Bigger brains means modern civilization. Modern civilization means more vegans. More vegans means less meat. Less meat means smaller brains. Smaller brains means we return to the Neanderthals. I rest my case.

The Neanderthal brain was larger than the modern human brain.

[free-in-nyc]

More vegans means... more meat for the rest of us!

[LaRueLaDue]

Beat me to it...

[GaryCrow]

Just imagine if we hadn’t mated with Neanderthals how much smarter we would be.

---

Modern people of African descent have no Neanderthal DNA, modern people of European descent have the most Neanderthal DNA.

The people of with the most neanderthal DNA gave us writing, democracy, the renaissance, the internal combustion engine, electricity, and put men on the moon. The people with no neanderthal DNA managed to figure out how to weave grass into a skirt so they can wear it to a gathering at the chief’s mud hut.

[sphinx]

Modern human populations outside of Africa have traces of Neanderthal DNA of around two percent give or take an inch. You need to put “high percentages of Neanderthal” in some perspective.

[Track9]

Very interesting. I never liked basket weaving. Now I know why.

[Track9]

Rapunzel Rapunzel let down your hair.. you have so much of it.

[RArtfulogerDodger]

When the white caucasian Trumpist cromagnons killed off the pure, beneficent, Neanders, the stage was set to wipe out natives everywhere and establish a white racist supremist ant-Ginsburg gaggle :)

[SunkenCiv]

The GT site had a primary excavator, but he has alas passed. Since then the Turks have constructed a bunch of walkways for tourists. I'm *sure* the Turks made certain the foundation footers weren't put into new holes that just destroyed the rest of the site, aren't you?

[SunkenCiv]

“Braid that hair, or be upbraided.”

[SunkenCiv]

:^)

[wildcard_redneck]

“Modern human populations outside of Africa have traces of Neanderthal DNA of around two percent give or take an inch. You need to put “high percentages of Neanderthal” in some perspective.”

Thank you ‘Dr. Measurement’. I’m talking high percentage relative to other people, not high percentages within a single individual.

Now try to find a problem with my grammar and spelling.

[jimmygrace]

Modern humans are better looking, so it’s easier to find mates.

[entropy12]

Brain size can be a function of overall body size.
IIRC elephant brain is much bigger than human brain.
But elephants can not learn calculus!

[Track9]

I’ve learned that basket weaving was a craft perfected by non Neanderthal types so it goes to reason that unbraided hair was Neanderthal fashion. Probably dreadlocks.. gross

[blam]

400,000 year old spears found in an German coal mine!

[Bob Ireland]

***The GT site had a primary excavator, but he has alas passed. Since then the Turks have constructed a bunch of walkways for tourists. I'm *sure* the Turks made certain the foundation footers weren't put into new holes that just destroyed the rest of the site, aren't you?***

Sigh... I sort of lost interest when Klaus Schmidt died... even though I disagreed with some of his analysis, I respected his archaeological integrity. From what you say, I presume excavation has been curtailed or stopped; can't have loud mouthed New Yorkers / Americans stumbling over pristine artifacts in situ. Turkey is in need of new sources of revenue so tourism is more welcome.

There is still Nevalı Çori {9th and/or 10th millennium BC}; maybe the Turks have not upset it yet. They could rent it as housing to the Kurds...

[Sirius Lee]

Modern humans are better looking, so it’s easier to find mates.

Yeah, but moderns have always had a thing for redheads.

[SunkenCiv]

Basketweaving has been around at least 27,000 years. It’s not as complicated as, say, cribbage, so it probably didn’t take thousands of years to develop or perfect, seems not unlikely that weaving has been around much earlier than that.

http://discovermagazine.com/1996/jan/thebasketage619

[SunkenCiv]

The part of the site he excavated is apparently a small fraction. Geophys technology suggests the site is spread out under quite a number of visible lumps, but none of these is likely to be excavated now, for another 40-50 years. It took something like 30 years for the dig at Catal Huyuk to resume.