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Big chill killed off the Neanderthals
New Scientist ^ | 24 January 2004 | Douglas Palmer

Posted on 09/21/2005 12:22:31 PM PDT by george76

IT IS possibly the longest-running murder mystery of them all. What, or even who, killed humankind's nearest relatives, the Neanderthals who once roamed Europe before dying out almost 30,000 years ago?

Suspects have ranged from the climate to humans themselves, and the mystery has deeply divided experts. Now 30 scientists have come together to publish the most definitive answer yet to this enigma. They say Neanderthals simply did not have the technological know-how to survive the increasingly harsh winters. And intriguingly, rather than being Neanderthal killers, the original human settlers of Europe almost suffered the same fate.

Ice cores recovered from Greenland in the 1970s show that Europe's climate varied hugely during the last ice age, especially in the period between 70,000 and 20,000 years ago. Cold glacial periods were punctuated by warmer times, and the average temperature could rise and fall several degrees within a decade or so.

The maps also reveal that the earliest modern humans, the Aurignacian people, who appeared around 40,000 years ago, could not cope with the glacial cold either. They retreated south until 25,000 years ago when they were reduced to a few refuges, such as southwest France and the shores of the Black Sea.

The Gravettians appeared in eastern Europe 29,000 to 30,000 years ago complete with flash new tools, such as javelin-like throwing spears and fishing nets, which allowed them to catch a greater range of prey.

They also had clothing to keep the cold out, such as sewn furs and woven textiles, and possibly more specialised social structures. Their ability to tough out the colder climes dominating Europe 18,000 to 25,000 years ago revitalised the human population.

The Neanderthals, however, without either new blood or new technology, found it impossible to survive and died out, probably around 28,000 years ago.

(Excerpt) Read more at newscientist.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: g75; globalcooling; globalwarming; godsgravesglyphs; history; multiregionalism; neandertal; neandertals; neanderthal; neanderthals
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To: poindexters brother

Bush doesn't care about Neanderthal people.


21 posted on 09/21/2005 12:37:23 PM PDT by avg_freeper (Gunga galunga. Gunga, gunga galunga)
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To: RobFromGa; mlc9852; Conspiracy Guy

Or the newly arriving humans called the Gravettians had SUV's as a part of their technology thus stopping the Ice Age in its tracks and warming up the world.


22 posted on 09/21/2005 12:38:17 PM PDT by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: SirJohnBarleycorn

Those of us married to redheads know space aliens are among us.


23 posted on 09/21/2005 12:38:23 PM PDT by sticker
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To: Conspiracy Guy
I think I got it.

While people were freezing to death in Europe, Bush was on his ranch in Texas. This explains everything.

24 posted on 09/21/2005 12:39:17 PM PDT by mvonfr
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To: Conspiracy Guy
History gets rewritten often.

Yes, and it is often said that history is written by the victors.

In this case, the victors, a type of human, has decided that the vanquished aren't actually human. Sub human if you will. Kinda sounds familar doesn't it?

25 posted on 09/21/2005 12:39:46 PM PDT by Protagoras (Gouge the gougers! Embrace a state controlled economy.)
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To: siunevada

I foresee a highly paid speaking tour for you.


26 posted on 09/21/2005 12:40:33 PM PDT by Izzy Dunne (Hello, I'm a TAGLINE virus. Please help me spread by copying me into YOUR tag line.)
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To: mvonfr

27 posted on 09/21/2005 12:42:01 PM PDT by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: george76
The Neanderthals, however, without either new blood or new technology, found it impossible to survive and died out, probably around 28,000 years ago.

Good thing, too. You think we have racism NOW!

28 posted on 09/21/2005 12:42:13 PM PDT by Lazamataz (Islam is merely Nazism without the snappy fashion sense.)
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To: george76

And here I thought the missing link did a number on the neanders.


29 posted on 09/21/2005 12:42:15 PM PDT by lilylangtree
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To: Maceman

Neaderthals were known to be extremely physically strong and tough --- ligament attachments to bones makes this clear.

That is a picture of a bunch of pansies.


30 posted on 09/21/2005 12:43:00 PM PDT by MeanWestTexan (A good friend helps you move. A great friend helps you move a body.)
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To: george76

The Gravettians were idiots. We wouldn't let them live near us.


31 posted on 09/21/2005 12:43:06 PM PDT by Conspiracy Guy (Ponce de Leon is coming here to look for the fountain of dumb. DC is his first stop.)
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To: george76
"Ice cores recovered from Greenland in the 1970s show that Europe's climate varied hugely during the last ice age, especially in the period between 70,000 and 20,000 years ago. Cold glacial periods were punctuated by warmer times, and the average temperature could rise and fall several degrees within a decade or so."

Global warming,,,,er,,cooling,,,I mean warming,,,,,dammit, where is Al Gore when you need him?

32 posted on 09/21/2005 12:43:35 PM PDT by Protagoras (Gouge the gougers! Embrace a state controlled economy.)
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To: Brilliant

"Seems like racism."

Specieism, actually.


33 posted on 09/21/2005 12:44:08 PM PDT by MeanWestTexan (A good friend helps you move. A great friend helps you move a body.)
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To: mvonfr

Science is so scientific


34 posted on 09/21/2005 12:44:51 PM PDT by Conspiracy Guy (Ponce de Leon is coming here to look for the fountain of dumb. DC is his first stop.)
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---"They retreated south until 25,000 years ago when they were reduced to a few refuges, such as southwest France..."

Splains a lot!


35 posted on 09/21/2005 12:45:20 PM PDT by Rocket1968 (Durbin must resign - NOW!)
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To: Izzy Dunne

I read today that the climate on Mars is changing....
SUVs?????


36 posted on 09/21/2005 12:45:24 PM PDT by buffyt (America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our people. Pres. George Bush)
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To: Brilliant

hee hee hee


37 posted on 09/21/2005 12:45:43 PM PDT by buffyt (America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our people. Pres. George Bush)
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To: Conspiracy Guy

Gravettians move in and start trying to change everything. I mean, who's business is it if I want to keep a wolly mammoth on my porch?


38 posted on 09/21/2005 12:46:31 PM PDT by Tijeras_Slim (Now that taglines are cool, I refuse to have one.)
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To: mvonfr

The land bridge to the New World was by way of Russia (where you theoretically could cross on foot even now, if particularly tough, foolhardy, and lucky one winter).

By this theory, those that far north at that time would only be homo sapien sapiens.

Ergo, this would be consistent with the 25,000 year theory.


39 posted on 09/21/2005 12:47:08 PM PDT by MeanWestTexan (A good friend helps you move. A great friend helps you move a body.)
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To: george76

Died out? Then how do we explain the RATs? They are unequal to any attempts to civilize them and make them able to survive in the cold political climate of modern times--it seems to drive them insane. Savage's book, "Liberalism is a Mental Disorder" fully explains their incurable malady.


40 posted on 09/21/2005 12:47:27 PM PDT by Paulus Invictus
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