# Neanderthals Killed by Humans?



## Drachir (Aug 7, 2009)

I've always suspected the evil hand of mankind in the disappearance of Neanderthal Man.  Now This article seems to prove it.  Of course, it might have been a case of them or us.  
Neanderthals 'may have been killed off by modern humans' - Telegraph


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## Teresa Edgerton (Aug 7, 2009)

The article seems to prove that _one _ homo sapiens killed _one_ particular Neanderthal.

It is a very big leap indeed from that to genocide -- especially because they can't even conclusively prove that the hand on the weapon was homo sapiens.


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## Nik (Aug 7, 2009)

Given their modest populations, severe environmental pressures and low survival-to-adult rates, doesn't take many grudges and pointy-sticks to tilt a population into extinction...


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## Urien (Aug 7, 2009)

I think it was probably more red squirrel/grey squirrel... and we were the grey squirrels. I think "The Inheritors" by William Golding describes it well.

I imagine they fled from us, or we took their game and they starved or we simply drove them off as they were competing for food. 

A terrible tragedy and so close in time to us. Possibly they are the original source of troll and goblin like stories, handed down initially in the oral story telling tradition.


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## Drachir (Aug 8, 2009)

Urien said:


> A terrible tragedy and so close in time to us. Possibly they are the original source of troll and goblin like stories, handed down initially in the oral story telling tradition.


  An interesting insight.


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## Pyan (Aug 8, 2009)

There's a short article in _New Scientist_ about it...

Troll tales - 31 March 2007 - New Scientist


And there's another theory proposed as well, that Neanderthals couldn't cope with climate change...

Did Neanderthal cells cook as the climate warmed? - life - 27 November 2008 - New Scientist


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## the smiling weirwood (Aug 8, 2009)

Who cares. They should have competed harder.


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## Happy Joe (Oct 12, 2009)

Whenever 2 animals compete for the same or closely related ecological niches; there will be a looser.
Given the evidence of history I'm surprised that any one finds it unusual.

Enjoy!


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