Neanderthal Extinction: Climate, Competition, and Genetic Legacy

Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis), close evolutionary relatives of Homo sapiens, have fascinated scientists since their first fossil identification in 1863. Initially viewed as a primitive, extinct European species, recent research reveals a more complex picture of human evolution. Neanderthals and modern humans shared a common ancestor in Africa approximately 500,000 years ago, possibly Homo antecessor. For millennia, physical and cultural differences between the two were minimal. Neanderthals possessed comparable intelligence and cognitive complexity to Homo sapiens, even interbreeding, resulting in fertile hybrid offspring. This interbreeding is evident in the 1 to 4 percent of Neanderthal DNA present in the genomes of all non-African humans today. Despite similarities, Neanderthals ultimately went extinct between 40,000 and 37,000 years ago, determined through radiocarbon dating. They endured extreme climate changes, but a rapid and unexpected temperature drop around 55,000 years ago impacted their ecosystems and food sources. Furthermore, the migration of Homo sapiens into Europe and Asia introduced advanced technologies and broader social networks. Neanderthals, with their limited population and genetic diversity, were outcompeted, leaving behind a genetic legacy within modern humans.