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New Study Reveals Neanderthals Were As Good At Hunting As Early Modern Humans
Science Daily ^ | 1-19-2006 | University Of Chicago

Posted on 01/19/2006 11:28:01 AM PST by blam

Source: University of Chicago Press Journals

Date: 2006-01-19

New Study Reveals Neanderthals Were As Good At Hunting As Early Modern Humans

The disappearance of Neanderthals is frequently attributed to competition from modern humans, whose greater intelligence has been widely supposed to make them more efficient as hunters. However, a new study forthcoming in the February issue of Current Anthropology argues that the hunting practices of Neanderthals and early modern humans were largely indistinguishable, a conclusion leading to a different explanation, also based on archaeological data, to explain the disappearance of the Neanderthals.
This study has important implications for debates surrounding behavioral evolution and the practices that eventually allowed modern humans like ourselves to displace other closely-related species.

"Each population was equally and independently capable of acquiring and exploiting critical information pertaining to animal availability and behavior," write the anthropologists, from the University of Connecticut, University of Haifa, Hebrew University, and Harvard University.

The researchers use new archaeological data from a Middle- and Upper-Paleolithic rock shelter in the Georgian Republic dated to 60,000?20,000 years ago to contest some prior models of the perceived behavioral and cognitive differences between Neanderthals and modern humans.
Instead, the researchers suggest that developments in the social realm of modern human life, allowing routine use of distant resources and more extensive division of labor, may be better indicators of why Neanderthals disappeared than hunting practices.

"The establishment of larger social networks allowed the replacement of Neanderthals in the Caucasus," write the authors. "Our study also indicates that this process of replacement by modern humans spread beyond the traditional biogeographical barrier [of] Neanderthal mobility represented by the Caucasus Mountains."


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: crevolist; godsgravesglyphs; humans; hunting; modern; neandertal; neanderthals; study
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To: infidel29
Aren't the Neaderthals pitching for Geico auto insurance?

Well, this is number 2 answer that the commercial is geico. Must be true. I honestly can not remember, Now I'm ROFLOL!

Won't Geico be upset that I can't remember the comapny because of the commercial? LOL?!

21 posted on 01/19/2006 11:59:20 AM PST by EequalsMC2
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To: mlc9852
Please don't insult the Neanderthals!

=P
22 posted on 01/19/2006 12:00:08 PM PST by Termite_Commander (Warning: Cynical Right-winger Ahead)
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To: RadioAstronomer

How is something like that authenticated anyway? I've always wanted to buy some coins from Jesus' time but was afraid they were just fakes.


23 posted on 01/19/2006 12:00:37 PM PST by mlc9852
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To: Red Badger
#3 for GEICO! ROFLOL X TWO!

That commercial cracks me up BIG time!

24 posted on 01/19/2006 12:00:55 PM PST by EequalsMC2
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To: mlc9852

Hey! mlc9852!

:)


25 posted on 01/19/2006 12:03:12 PM PST by EequalsMC2
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To: Termite_Commander
Yeah, that's a Geico commercial.

I'm not buying it, but they have a great promo! Thanks for confirmation!

26 posted on 01/19/2006 12:05:29 PM PST by EequalsMC2
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To: mlc9852
"How is something like that authenticated anyway? I've always wanted to buy some coins from Jesus' time but was afraid they were just fakes."

The date will say BC instead of AD on the really old coins.

27 posted on 01/19/2006 12:16:09 PM PST by Neanderthal
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To: blam
Why the easy assumption that Neanderthals were less intelligent than our ancestors? After all, their brains were 10-15% larger than ours. My theory is that Neanderthal was smarter than us and as a result spent his time discussing Cantorean transfinites and organizing chamber music societies rather than getting down to inventing agriculture and domesticating critters and all that hick stuff.

I further theorize that when he finally noticed the neighborhood was getting crowded with all the wrong types, Neanderthal invented Flying Saucers and left. Still checks back in now and again, of course. ;^)

28 posted on 01/19/2006 12:17:51 PM PST by Grut
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To: Grut
We are Neanderthals. (assimilation)
29 posted on 01/19/2006 12:21:01 PM PST by blam
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To: EequalsMC2

30 posted on 01/19/2006 12:21:24 PM PST by billorites (freepo ergo sum)
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To: EequalsMC2

Hey. Isn't this fun? LOL


31 posted on 01/19/2006 12:35:55 PM PST by mlc9852
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To: Neanderthal

And what would your advice be for the ones that say "Made in China"?


32 posted on 01/19/2006 12:37:20 PM PST by mlc9852
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To: blam

But their table manners were left wanting. So they fell by the wayside. Actually they probably fell by the wayside because another tribe of humans tired of their animalistic and barbaric antics. Kind of the same reason people originally marched out of Africa 200 million years ago or whatever the timeline is. Tired of the neighborhood.


33 posted on 01/19/2006 12:40:20 PM PST by kinghorse
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To: blam
We are Neanderthals. (assimilation)

I've always wondered about that. If I were to test populations to see if there were any Neandertal genes, I would test in the areas where Neandertals have been found. Narrow that down to areas where whole populations have been fighting and killing each other since before recorded history (the Balkans come to mind).

Then find an area where each side of the conflict feels that the "people in the next valley are different", and then check both populations to see if the really are different.

I don't understand why they test for Neandertal genes in areas where nobody has ever even found one. Doesn't make sense to me.

34 posted on 01/19/2006 12:41:52 PM PST by wyattearp (The best weapon to have in a gunfight is a shotgun - preferably from ambush.)
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To: EequalsMC2

They should just stick with the gecko.


35 posted on 01/19/2006 12:43:20 PM PST by Old Professer (Fix the problem, not the blame!)
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To: blam

wonder if anyone has ever considered that it may have been disease that wiped out neanderthals?


36 posted on 01/19/2006 12:48:19 PM PST by NoClones
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To: Yo-Yo
“That's soooo condescending.”
37 posted on 01/19/2006 12:50:19 PM PST by johnny7 (“Iuventus stultorum magister”)
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To: blam

Yeah, I buy that premise, too. The two lines simply interbred.


38 posted on 01/19/2006 12:54:36 PM PST by frgoff
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To: Termite_Commander
I doubt the H-S were throwing spears. More likely rocks, from slings. There are tons of rocks found that are clearly modified, that for years have been called "hand axes" and thought of as hand tools, when that makes no sense given where they are found and in what numbers. (Huge accumulations in watering holes etc). But as large slingstones they make perfect sense. (Single underhand motion, not whirled over the head - the usual reason given for dismissing that role). A dozen men might toss 50 softball sized, edge-sharpened rocks in 1-2 minutes, and seriously wound large prey that way.
39 posted on 01/19/2006 1:03:41 PM PST by JasonC
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To: blam

yawn. eventually even sientists will figure out that man has not fundamentally changed through the ages. christians and jews have known this for millenia.


40 posted on 01/19/2006 1:08:15 PM PST by seppel
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