Up next in 10
Neanderthal's Last Stand
2K views
Apr 9, 2025
This video explores the fascinating story of the Neanderthals, an ancient human species that thrived in Eurasia for hundreds of thousands of years before their extinction. This video takes you on a journey through their final days, exploring the environmental challenges, genetic evidence, and cultural shifts that shaped their decline. Learn about key sites like Gorham’s Cave in Gibraltar, where Neanderthals lived alongside modern humans in one of their last refuges. Uncover the advanced tools and symbolic artifacts they crafted, shedding light on their adaptability and ingenuity during the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition. From the forests of southern Iberia to the icy expanses of northern Europe, see how Neanderthals coped with dramatic climate changes, dwindling resources, and competition with Homo sapiens. Using the latest archaeological and genetic research, this video delves into the debates surrounding their extinction—was it climate, competition, or a mix of both? Join us as we piece together the story of the last Neanderthals and explore their enduring legacy in the modern human genome. If you’re curious about the mysterious cousins of humanity, this is a journey you won’t want to miss! 👉 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more insights into human prehistory and archaeology.
View Video Transcript
0:02
[Music] imagine that pivotal moment in history
0:08
the last time modern humans encountered their Neanderthal counterparts what did they think of each other did they
0:14
exchange ideas tools or even a shared sense of awe at their world these
0:19
encounters were not merely the meeting of two species but the merging of Destinies leaving traces of Neanderthal
0:25
DNA in many of us today neanderthal remains were first discovered in the early 19th century but their
0:32
significance went unrecognized until the 1856 discovery of a skeleton in Germany's neander Valley initially their
0:39
unusual Anatomy was thought to result from disease and their status as ancient humans was only accepted when more
0:45
similar skeletons were found alongside tools and extinct animal bones current
0:51
estimates suggest the Divergence of the last common ancestor of humans and Neanderthals occurred around 500,000 to
0:58
700,000 years ago primarily based on nuclear DNA analysis denisovans another
1:05
homin from Asia likely split from this lineage around 600,000 years ago with
1:10
the Divergence likely occurring in Asia homo H highle bensis is commonly regarded as the last common ancestor of
1:17
Neanderthals denisovans and modern humans this species had a wide
1:23
geographical distribution ranging from Africa to Eurasia during a time period spanning approximately 900,000 to
1:30
300,000 years ago however some researchers propose homo antecessor a
1:35
species represented by approximately 800,000 year old fossils from Grand Alina in Spain as an alternative last
1:42
common ancestor these debates reflect the complexities and ongoing discoveries in the study of human evolution modern
1:49
humans lived in Africa while neanderthals settled in Eurasia modern humans likely moved into the Levant or
1:56
West Asia much earlier than they spread across the rest of Eurasia while neanderthals stayed in Eurasia the
2:02
fossils dating between 200,000 and 100,000 years ago show clear Neanderthal
2:08
features by around 70,000 years ago neanderthals had fully developed their
2:13
unique Anatomy referred to as classic neanderthals neanderthals disappeared
2:18
approximately between 30 and 40,000 years ago shortly after modern humans arrived in Europe around 40,000 years
2:26
ago neanderthals possessed a variety of unique anatomical features including
2:31
distinct cranial dental and postcranial characteristics the Neanderthal face was
2:37
marked by a heavy double- arched brow Ridge large rounded eye sockets and a
2:42
broad nasal opening their midface projected forward and the cheekbones were angled and inflated internally
2:48
neanderthals had large maxillary sinuses and their frontal sinuses expanded to
2:54
fill most of the brow Ridge their lower jaw receded and they lacked a protruding chin with a noticeable gap between their
3:00
lower wisdom teeth and the vertical branch of the jaw Neanderthal back teeth were similar in size to modern humans
3:07
but their front teeth especially the incizors were larger their Dental wear patterns were also distinctive with the
3:13
front teeth being more worn down than the back ones possibly from using teeth as tools neanderthals large nasal
3:20
openings have been linked to cold climate adaptation these features may have helped warm and humidify the air
3:25
they breathed or dissipate heat some interpretations suggest that their facial characteristics resulted from
3:32
mechanical stress such as using their teeth for activities Beyond chewing alternatively it's been proposed that
3:38
their unique morphology was driven by genetic drift or chance-based evolutionary processes the Neanderthal
3:45
skull has several distinctive features it is flat and elongated when viewed from the side and rounded when viewed
3:52
from the back the occipital region back of the skull projects backward forming a
3:57
structure known as the occipital bun this trait along with differences in the temporal bone and bony Labyrinth of the
4:05
inner ear sets neanderthals apart from modern humans their brain size averaged
4:10
about 1,500 cubic cm larger than that of modern humans though their relative
4:15
brain size was smaller due to their greater body mass the Neanderthal skeleton is robust with features such as
4:22
curved femurs and radi thick bones and strong muscle and ligament markings this
4:27
muscular build suggests they were phys physically strong they were shorter than early modern humans with males averaging
4:34
around 169 cm and females around 160 cm
4:39
their body mass averaged 78 kg for males and 66 kg for females Neanderthal rib
4:46
cages were Broad and deep at the bottom and narrow at the top and their limbs were relatively short with large
4:52
articular ends which could be adaptations to cold climates these body proportions may have helped them
4:58
conserve heat although though their body form suggests adaptations for cold environments studies indicate that
5:04
neanderthals would not have been able to survive in high latitude habitats without shelter and clothing Neanderthal
5:10
children grew faster than modern humans and their populations exhibited a high mortality rate especially among
5:17
adolescents and Prime AG adults this could be linked to high levels of stress and Trauma often observed in Neanderthal
5:24
skeletons particularly in the head and neck these injuries are thought to be a result of hunting large pre and some may
5:30
have been due to interpersonal aggression many of the injuries show signs of healing suggesting neanderthals
5:36
exhibited compassion by caring for injured members enabling their survival additionally Neanderthal remains
5:42
indicate elevated developmental stress pointing to hardships faced during childhood and throughout life
5:49
neanderthals primarily relied on meat including animals like bison wild cattle
5:54
reindeer and horses among others sites in the Mediterranean region show they also also ate shellfish birds and marine
6:02
mammals though plant remains are rarely found this is likely due to poor preservation rather than their absence
6:08
in the diet studies of Neanderthal bones reveal that they had a diet rich in herbivore meat similar to top predators
6:16
isotopic analysis suggests they hunted very large animals like mammoths or
6:21
rhinoceroses more than previously thought there is less evidence of marine food in their diets compared to modern
6:28
humans of the upper paleo iic the question of whether neanderthals had symbolic thought and language is still
6:34
debated unlike modern humans Neanderthal sites show little evidence of symbolic objects like art or personal ornaments
6:41
this has led some to argue that neanderthals lacked cognitive abilities and language however the archaeological
6:48
record may not fully capture Neanderthal Behavior there is some evidence such as the use of oer and manganese crayons and
6:55
the burial of individuals which suggests they may have had some form of symbolic thought yet burial practices and Grave
7:03
goods are very rare in Neanderthal sites making it difficult to draw firm conclusions about their symbolic
7:10
capacities neanderthals were well suited to live in Western Eurasia having been present in the region for at least
7:17
150,000 years well before the onset of the last ice age geographically they
7:23
ranged across Europe from Iberia to Russia and from the Mediterranean to
7:28
Northern Europe Southern European peninsulas likely served as refugees during glacial periods helping them
7:35
survive extreme climates when Northern regions became uninhabitable neanderthals also lived Beyond Europe
7:42
with evidence of their presence in the near East Western Asia usbekistan and
7:47
even Siberia the tesk Tash cave in usbekistan is one of the most important
7:52
sites for Neanderthal fossils in Central Asia a neanderthal child's partial skeleton was found in tesk Tash cave
8:00
along with Associated tools and animal remains the site dates back approximately 50,000 years around
8:07
145,000 years ago neanderthals were mainly found in Western Europe parts of
8:12
Italy and the Mediterranean as the climate warmed around 130,000 years ago
8:18
their range expanded into Northern and parts of Eastern Europe the warm period of the Eman about
8:25
121,000 years ago saw their range reach its largest size peaking at 7.3 million
8:31
square kilm however when the climate cooled their rain shrank again especially in Northern regions during
8:38
the early and middle periods of the W celian Ice Age around 115,000 to 30,000
8:44
years ago neanderthals were widely distributed across southern and western Europe but more sporadically in Central
8:50
Europe the rugged Alps and carpathians created natural barriers making it difficult for neanderthals to cross
8:57
these regions they likely ventured into into Central Europe during warmer climatic phases with the odra valley
9:03
being a key route through the sudat and Carpathian Mountains Neanderthal activity has been found in sites across
9:10
Poland Germany and the Czech Republic often in rock shelters caves and open a
9:15
locations notable sites like zolan kiga and halera Avenue offer insights into
9:22
Neanderthal life halera Avenue in RAV Poland reveals evidence of Neanderthal
9:27
occupation during warmer periods by studying animal remains from these sites such as bison horses mammoths and
9:35
rhinoceroses scientists can determine the temperature conditions during Neanderthal occupation the halera Avenue
9:42
site shows evidence of Neanderthal habitation during two warm phases around
9:47
115,000 to 74,000 years ago and around 59,000 years ago these periods oxygen
9:55
isotope stages 5 and three had average annual temperatures of 6 to 7°
10:00
indicating a mild climate from about 116,000 to 71,000 years ago there were
10:06
cycles of climate warming and cooling which caused neanderthals range to expand and contract studies show that
10:13
the most suitable environment for neanderthals during the warmer emian period was in the Mediterranean while
10:19
areas like mountain ranges and plains were less suitable however after about 65,000 years ago their range became more
10:26
limited mostly staying in Western Europe the Iberian Peninsula and parts of Italy
10:32
by around 44,000 to 40,000 years ago Neanderthal populations had become
10:38
isolated in smaller regions resulting in a significant population decline by
10:44
around 30,000 to 42,000 years ago near the time neanderthals went extinct their
10:50
range had drastically reduced to just 2.7 million square kilm genetic data
10:55
confirms that neanderthals had small populations genetic diversity and high mortality
11:02
rates this made them vulnerable to inbreeding and reduced their overall Fitness compared to humans possibly by
11:08
as much as 40% research on their mitochondrial DNA shows that late Neanderthal populations were spread
11:15
across West Asia southern Europe and Western Europe neanderthals in the Middle East and southern Europe showed
11:21
more genetic diversity while those in Western Europe had less genetic variation suggesting that northern
11:27
European populations went extinct before 48,000 years ago and the region was
11:33
later recolonized by neanderthals from the Middle East although climate change likely played a role in their Extinction
11:40
competition with modern humans may have also been a significant factor neanderthals and humans had similar
11:46
environmental preferences which suggests that competition for resources could have contributed to their decline some
11:53
scientists even propose that modern humans might have directly displaced neanderthals although this idea is
11:58
debated fossil evidence shows that neanderthals lived in warmer environments while
12:04
humans lived in colder Arctic regions suggesting that direct competition between the two species over resources
12:11
may have been limited the mitochondrial DNA of late neanderthals reveals new insights into their genetic diversity
12:18
five specimens were compared with earlier neanderthals from different regions the Le cotay specimen in France
12:25
showed genetic connections to neanderthals from regions like siberia's Den Inova cave suggesting a more
12:31
interconnected gene pool rather than distinct eastern and western groups mesaya 2 from the Caucasus Mountains
12:38
also showed genetic links with other late neanderthals indicating genetic cohesion despite Geographic spread a
12:45
genetic tree comparing older specimens such as the Altin Neanderthal about
12:51
120,000 years ago and the vendan Neanderthals around 45,000 years ago
12:57
showed all neanderthals forming a single group older specimens branched off first
13:03
while late neanderthals grouped together neanderthals in regions like the Caucasus may have been replaced by
13:09
populations from Western Europe during extreme climatic changes leading to local extinctions and recolonization
13:16
late neanderthals separated from the allai Neanderthal around 150,000 years
13:22
ago and from the vindija Neanderthal around 70,000 years ago neanderthals and
13:28
denisovans verged about 400,000 years ago and their split from modern humans
13:33
occurred approximately 530,000 years ago this timeline clarifies Neanderthal
13:39
evolutionary history one of the major challenges in studying last neanderthals
13:44
is obtaining reliable dates for Neanderthal remains and Associated artifacts early radiocarbon dating
13:51
methods often underestimated the ages of samples leading to inaccurate conclusions about when neanderthals
13:57
lived advanced techniques like accelerator Mass spectrometry radiocarbon dating combined with
14:04
techniques like ultra filtration have corrected many earlier inaccuracies and provided a clearer picture for example
14:11
at Miz my skaya cave in Russia a neanderthal infant was originally dated to about 29,000 years ago suggesting
14:18
late survival however newer dating of another Neanderthal from the same site revealed significantly older dates as
14:25
did the reanalysis of cut marked animal bones from the same layers similarly at
14:30
zafaria Cave in Spain earlier dates placed Neanderthal remains between
14:36
33,400 and 28,900 years ago subsequent ultra filtration of these samples showed they
14:43
were beyond the limits of radiocarbon dating indicating they were much older the revised timelines for mesm skaya and
14:50
zafaria suggest that neanderthals disappeared earlier than previously thought with no evidence for late
14:56
surviving populations in isolated refuges instead their decline appears to have
15:01
coincided with the spread of modern humans across Europe the Neanderthal remains from vindija cave Northern
15:08
Croatia have long been considered potentially among the latest surviving neanderthals two key fossils from
15:15
vindicia a Jawbone fragment and a piece of skull were initially dated to about
15:20
29,000 years old however using Advanced radiocarbon dating techniques they
15:26
reassess the age of the neanderthal remains from vind cave the research confirmed that the Neanderthal
15:32
occupation of vindija cave occurred earlier than previously thought around 46,000 to 42,000 years ago significantly
15:41
predating earlier estimates of 29,000 to 28,000 and 33,000 to 32,000 years these
15:49
findings indicate that the site was not a last refuge for neanderthals but part of their earlier range in essence the
15:56
vinda site once seen as exceptional evidence of Neanderthal survival and interaction with modern humans now
16:03
appears to reflect a more common issue in archaeology contamination and mixing
16:08
of materials from different periods there is a need for caution when using radiocarbon dating to determine the age
16:14
of very old human fossil remains while radiocarbon dating is the most precise
16:20
method available its accuracy diminishes significantly for fossils dating back to
16:25
45,000 to 40,000 years ago this period is critical as it marks the transition
16:31
between neanderthals and modern humans even a small amount of contamination by
16:36
modern carbon can skew the results making fossils appear much younger than they actually are for example just 1%
16:43
modern contamination can cause an error of over 8,000 years for fossils around
16:49
42,500 years old Gibralter is a small British overseas Territory located at
16:55
the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula on the southern coast of Spain it is positioned at the entrance of the
17:01
Mediterranean Sea where it meets the Atlantic ocean known as the straight of Gibralter it has a long history of
17:07
connection with neanderthals the first discovery linking neanderthals to the area was made in 1848 when a neanderthal
17:15
skull was found at forbes' quarry later in the 1920s another skull along with
17:21
tools made by neanderthals was uncovered at a nearby site called Devil's Tower
17:26
these tools belong to the maeran techn te ology there are now eight known sites on the Rock of Gibralter a 6 km long and
17:34
426 M High Limestone Ridge where neanderthals lived one key site is
17:40
gorm's cave early excavations in the mid 20th century found evidence of Neanderthals through their Tools in 1995
17:48
researchers dated the last use of Neanderthal tools in the cave to about 32,000 years ago where top layers linked
17:55
to early modern humans contain tools that came from two distinct cultural periods known as the solutran and
18:02
magdalenian which followed the Neanderthals the deepest layer revealed tools that were exclusively mysterian
18:09
confirming Neanderthal activity goram's cave in Gibralter provides valuable insights into the lives of Neanderthals
18:16
and their eventual replacement by modern humans radiocarbon dates show that neanderthals used the cave regularly for
18:23
over 10,000 years from around 33,000 to 23,000 years ago however the most
18:30
reliable evidence suggests they occupied the site until approximately 28,000 years ago the caves unique structure
18:37
made it a favorable shelter natural light reached deep inside and the high ceiling allowed smoke to escape making
18:44
it a practical spot for repeated use the evidence of hearths along with other remains shows that neanderthals brought
18:50
animals into the cave to Butcher and cook leaving marks on the bones neanderthals lived in an environment
18:57
rich in plants and animals the surrounding area included Sandy Plains Woodlands wetlands and Coastal
19:04
environments this diversity likely helped neanderthals survive longer in this region compared to other parts of
19:10
Europe while neanderthals occupied goram's cave modern humans were slowly moving into nearby areas evidence from
19:18
sites about 100 km away shows modern human tools and settlements appearing
19:23
around 32,000 years ago however the transition from neanderthals to Modern
19:28
human in southern Iberia was not sudden it was a gradual process with both groups living in the region at low
19:35
population densities for thousands of years unlike other parts of Europe there is little evidence of direct interaction
19:41
or cultural exchange between neanderthals and modern humans here neanderthals in southern Spain
19:47
particularly around areas like jalter may have survived longer than previously believed living alongside modern humans
19:54
in certain regions in southern Iberia southern Spain and Portugal neanderthals
19:59
continued to use their traditional tools and Lifestyles even after the advanced tools of modern humans such as the
20:06
arasan spread across northern Europe evidence from several archaeological
20:11
sites suggest that neanderthals may have lived in southern Iberia until about 30,000 years ago far later than their
20:19
disappearance from Northern parts of Europe these Neanderthal populations appear to have developed independently
20:24
in isolated regions leading to a unique Persistence of their culture and Technology the southern Iberian
20:31
environment with a mix of open grassy landscapes in the north and more wooded areas in the South likely played a role
20:38
in this extended survival the idea that neanderthals in southern Iberia developed their own distinct cultural
20:45
traits separate from interactions with modern humans in the north helps explain
20:50
their long survival archaeological findings such as neanderthal remains and
20:55
tools in places like gruda de Oliva in Portugal support the idea that their way
21:00
of life persisted for thousands of years more than previously thought During the period between 60,000 and 26,000 years
21:08
ago leading up to the last glacial maximum the climate experienced rapid fluctuations and was harsher than it is
21:15
today as the last glacial maximum began around 24,000 to 18,000 years ago the
21:22
environment became cooler drier and more stable in the Mediterranean region
21:27
colder periods of the late Pline saw annual rainfall reduced by about 400 MM
21:35
with winter temperatures about 6 to 13° lower than today however during warmer
21:40
phases rainfall and temperatures were comparable to Modern conditions in southern Iberia vegetation shifted
21:47
between dry scrub species like matinis and ziziphus during colder times and trees such as Pines Oaks and olive trees
21:54
during milder phases the animal remains found in gorm's cave including deer wild
22:00
goats horses and monk seals show signs of being hunted and processed by humans
22:06
the absence of scavenger damage on the bones indicates the cave was a key Human Habitat evidence from pollen animal
22:13
studies and plant remains suggest that the landscape around goram's cave was dominated by mediterranean-like
22:20
vegetation featuring a mix of open woodlands and other habitats common plants included Stone Pine olive trees
22:27
and shrubs typical of Mediterranean climates indicating that extreme cooling episodes were not prolonged in the
22:34
region while the overall climate was relatively mild some evidence points to colder Winters and greater temperature
22:41
fluctuations during the late Pine Limpet shells from the cave suggest sea surface
22:46
temperatures were cooler with more pronounced seasonal differences additionally the presence of animals
22:51
like shrews and NES usually found in Northern climates supports the idea that jalter acted as a refuge for species
22:58
from colder regions despite these cold spells Mediterranean plants and animals continued to dominate suggesting that
23:05
the region remained relatively warm and habitable the average temperatures
23:10
during this period were about 1.6 to 1.8 de cooler than today Winters were
23:16
significantly colder by approximately 8° while summer conditions were similar to the present
23:22
day annual rainfall was slightly lower but there were fewer dry months compared to today highlighting a semi-humid
23:29
Mediterranean climate The increased temperature differences between Seasons suggest the area experienced more
23:36
Continental like conditions during the late Pline there seems to be a contradiction in the story of
23:41
Neanderthals in southern Iberia how could warm loving plants and animals persist in this region while climate
23:48
change is believed to have caused the Neanderthals Extinction one explanation is that southern Iberia maintained
23:54
enough rainfall in moderate conditions to support neanderthals for a longer period than other regions relatively
24:01
good rainfall levels might have helped neanderthals survive in places like goram's cave however even in this
24:08
Southern Refuge there were signs of harsher conditions for example rainfall levels decreased by about 78 mm During
24:15
the period when neanderthals lived in the area pollen records from Marine sediments in the nearby alboran sea also
24:22
show a significant decline in tree cover between 31,000 and 15,000 years ago with
24:28
theow levels occurring around 24,500 years ago this corresponds to
24:33
Hinrich event 2 a particularly cold and dry period geochemical studies suggest
24:39
that temperatures in southern Iberia were 4 to 6° cooler than today around this time since neanderthals are
24:46
believed to have relied heavily on forests for food and shelter the loss of large Forest areas would have made
24:52
survival difficult small pockets of forest like those near Gibralter may
24:57
have acted as refuges but these may not have been large enough to sustain healthy Neanderthal populations for long
25:04
similar patterns of Extinction due to extreme dryness have been proposed for neanderthals in other regions like the
25:10
Levant around 45,000 years ago ultimately the coastal refugees of
25:15
Southern Iberia might not have been enough to protect neanderthals from the increasingly harsh climate either these
25:22
areas became too small to support viable populations or the challenges posed by
25:27
the climate were simply too great for them to adapt the late surviving Neanderthal sites in Europe show their
25:33
remains alongside tools from transitional industries that mix older Neanderthal Traditions with newer
25:39
techniques similar to those of modern humans the technological Industries used by the last neanderthals during the
25:46
middle to Upper Paleolithic transition provide significant insights into their adaptation to changing environments and
25:53
potential interactions with early modern humans these industries reflect a combination of continuity from earlier
25:59
traditions and innovation in response to new challenges and influences during the middle to Upper
26:06
Paleolithic transition neanderthals displayed a combination of technological continuity and Innovation adapting to
26:13
environmental changes and possibly engaging with early modern humans tool Industries such as the zelian Loman
26:22
risian jman oich castle paronian and Udan reflect both tradition Neanderthal
26:29
craftsmanship and signs of technological advancements the celian industry marked
26:34
by foliate points maintain continuity with earlier Traditions but also shows potential for adapting to new cultural
26:41
influences the Loman Rian jerman oian industry with Advanced blade technology
26:48
suggests that neanderthals may have been influenced by early modern humans possibly through interactions the castle
26:55
paronian industry associated with symbolic artifacts s like Pierce teeth and ivory raises questions about whether
27:02
neanderthals adopted or independently developed upper Paleolithic Technologies
27:07
the ulusan linked to modern humans further complicates the debate about Neanderthal capability and cultural
27:14
exchange the timing of Neanderthal Extinction and modern human arrival varied by region with neanderthals in
27:20
some places being replaced as early as 44,000 years ago while in others such as
27:26
the Italy France border they persist Ed until around 41,000 years ago this
27:31
variation in timing suggests those Neanderthal behaviors and their responses to environmental changes and
27:37
interactions with modern humans were not uniform indicating a complex and regionally varied history during this
27:44
transitional period the appearance of the arasan linked to early modern humans
27:49
in the south is debated with evidence suggesting it may have emerged around 43,000 to 45,000 years ago some sites
27:58
like bajano raised the possibility of Neanderthal and modern human cohabitation but this remains uncertain
28:05
ongoing research at sites like gorm's cave and picaro Cave is expected to provide clearer insights into the
28:12
timeline of Neanderthal and modern human interactions helping to resolve the complexities surrounding their
28:18
coexistence in Iberia the idea that modern humans wiped out neanderthals is an oversimplified View and it overlooks
28:26
the complexity of their interactions several hypotheses suggest that competition played a role in the decline
28:31
of Neanderthals modern humans may have had several advantages over neanderthals such as better clothing and shelter
28:39
improved hunting techniques and more diverse subsistence strategies additionally modern human social
28:45
structures were likely more complex with gender divisions of labor larger group
28:51
sizes and intricate social networks demographic factors such as higher birth
28:56
rates and longer lifespans May also favored modern humans although archaeological evidence sometimes shows
29:02
modern human remains above Neanderthal remains it does not necessarily indicate that modern humans actively exterminated
29:10
neanderthals it could simply mean that modern humans entered these areas after neanderthals had already left ultimately
29:17
there is little direct evidence to suggest that modern humans deliberately wiped out neanderthals one significant
29:23
factor that has been proposed for the extinction of Neanderthals is climate change neanderthals disappeared about
29:29
40,000 years ago and by the time Homo sapiens arrived in Europe 45,000 years
29:35
ago there was only a short overlap this raises the question of whether humans were solely responsible for their
29:42
Extinction and it suggests that neanderthals may have already been declining before modern humans arrived
29:49
some researchers believe that the climatic instability during the last ice age may have played a major role in
29:54
their Extinction the Pline era was character ized by glacial advances and
29:59
Retreats that drastically altered the European environment affecting the availability of resources for
30:06
neanderthals climate change could have caused demographic stress by reducing the carrying capacity of the ecosystem
30:13
during colder periods like those that occurred in Western Europe 50,000 years ago Neanderthal populations suffered a
30:20
genetic bottleneck leaving them with low genetic diversity this is supported by studies of ancient DNA found in the
30:27
valdo cave in Spain where the Neanderthals showed evidence of a dramatic population decline during cold
30:33
phases further evidence of harsh climatic conditions is seen in paleoclimate records from Romania
30:40
showing cold and dry periods around 44,000 years ago leading to yearr round
30:46
permafrost while some dismissed the role of climate change due to neanderthals ability to survive past cold periods
30:53
others argue that the environment was not uniform across Europe with some regions remaining milder fin L presents
31:00
an alternative view suggesting that neanderthals were never fully adapted to the cold they lived in a variety of
31:07
habitats including woodlands and savanas and were under constant stress never
31:12
fully recovering from previous environmental challenges according to fin Lon their eventual Extinction was
31:18
due to their overs specialization in hunting large mammals within a limited range of habitats their low tolerance
31:24
for environmental changes and their fragmented populations these factors led
31:29
to low colonization success and high Extinction rates making them vulnerable to the environmental shifts of the late
31:36
Pine which led to the loss of ecosystems that could support them another factor
31:41
in the Neanderthal Extinction theory is the campanian ignimbrite eruption around
31:46
39,000 years ago a volcanic eruption that might have had a severe impact on
31:51
the environment evidence suggests that this event led to a reduction in plant pollin and possibly affect the animals
31:58
that neanderthals relied on for food as we close our exploration of the last neanderthals we are reminded of their
32:05
remarkable Journey Through Time these resilient humans thrived in challenging environments showcasing Advanced tools
32:13
art and even symbolic thought once believed to be uniquely modern traits
32:18
yet as climate shifts and interactions with our species reshaped their world their legacy became part of ours today
32:26
traces of Neanderthal d a live on in many of us a silent Testament to a shared history that connects us across
32:33
Millennia their story is not just about Extinction but adaptation Innovation and
32:38
survival against the odds in remembering the Neanderthals we gain deeper insights
32:43
into what it means to be human a reflection of resilience creativity and
32:48
interconnectedness thank you for joining us on this journey into the past until next time stay curious and keep
32:55
exploring [Music]
#Anthropology
#Biological Sciences
#Earth Sciences
#Paleontology