Scientists are still working to understand why Neanderthals became extinct. wise person Established a permanent presence in Europe. The answer is not easy. There are probably several overlapping factors at play, but new research using techniques inspired by digital ecology is providing a clearer picture.
The study was led by Ariane Burke, a professor of anthropology at the University of Montreal and head of Quebec’s Human Dispersion Research Group. Based on the work of his doctoral students Benjamin Albui and Simon Paquin, Burke adapted a model commonly used to study the distribution of plants and animals and applied it to ancient human populations. This approach combines archaeological evidence with ethnographic data to better understand how early humans lived and moved.
The research team focused on Europe during the last ice age, between 60,000 and 35,000 years ago. This period was characterized by dramatic climate fluctuations, varying between cold (quiescent) and warm (quiescent) periods. It was also a time when wise person They first appeared in the European archaeological record when the Neanderthals disappeared.
Their findings suggest that commonly cited explanations such as climate stress and direct competition cannot fully explain Neanderthal extinction. Rather, outcomes are shaped by a combination of climate, geography, population dynamics, and interactions between species, and conditions appear to vary from region to region.
Modeling ancient human habitats
In ecology, scientists use species distribution models to estimate where a species can survive based on its known locations. Burke and her team applied this concept to ancient humans. Instead of modern observations, they used archaeological sites as “points of existence” for both Neanderthals and humans. wise person.
The researchers performed several modeling steps. First, we used tools from conservation biology and geography to build four habitat suitability models for each species. These models combine the archaeological record with environmental data such as geography and measurements of climate change.
Burke then compared the results and developed additional models to identify “core” areas. These regions were large and productive enough to sustain stable populations and, importantly, were connected to other such regions.
“Obviously, we don’t have accurate demographic data on the populations that lived 35,000 years ago, so we used ethnographic data from better-documented ancient hunter-gatherer groups to set the parameters of our geographic tools and generate these models,” Burke explained. “For example, these data show that the typical annual territory of a local group of 25 to 50 people who move seasonally and maintain regional connections with other groups is approximately 2,500 km2.”
Social networks and survival benefits
This stage of the analysis revealed clear differences between Neanderthals and Neanderthals. wise person began to appear.
suitable area wise person They tended to be more interconnected than those used by Neanderthals. According to Burke, this connectivity was critical. When groups connect, they form networks that allow people to move between groups when faced with environmental, ecological, or demographic challenges.
“These networks act as a safety net,” Burke explained. “This allows for the exchange of information on resource and animal movements, the formation of partnerships, and temporary access to other territories in the event of a crisis.”
Burke emphasized that Neanderthals were not completely isolated. Archaeological evidence, such as the movement of materials between regions, shows that they remained connected. However, the model suggests that these links are weak and unreliable, especially in Central and Eastern Europe.
Climate change and regional differences
The study also found that climate variability, meaning how quickly and unpredictably conditions can change, has a stronger effect on populations than average temperature or precipitation alone.
“Climate change seems to be playing a big role. So it turns out that humans have been sensitive to environmental changes throughout history,” Burke said.
Still, climate alone cannot explain the extinction of Neanderthals. Fossils and archaeological records show that Neanderthals survived the early Ice Ages and that they had the ability to adapt to harsh conditions.
Research says their disappearance was likely caused by a combination of climate instability, population pressures and social structure. The exact combination of factors may vary by region.
For example, European Neanderthals appear to have been divided into two main groups: Western and Eastern. In Eastern Europe, as conditions worsened, ties between groups may have weakened, leading to isolation. In contrast, the Iberian Peninsula population at the western end of its range may have persisted longer due to its better-connected core region.
The situation could have been even more complicated.
“In the western region, wise person “This may have added additional stress, especially to Neanderthal populations that were already demographically fragile. Because the two species had the ability to reproduce together, their interactions were likely complex, involving competition, occasional interbreeding, and other subtle population dynamics,” Professor Burke said.
Lessons about relationships
Burke believes these discoveries highlight something fundamental about human survival, both in the past and today.
“Human migration has always existed and is facilitated by mobility and social networks,” she noted. “Today, despite the complexities of borders, population density, and social inequality, humans continue to migrate for the same basic reasons: to find more favorable territory, to reunite with loved ones, and to join networks of mutual aid.”
This research suggests that survival did not depend solely on intelligence or technology. Just as we did 40,000 years ago, we still rely on our ability to build and maintain connections with others.
