Early Humans
May. 8th, 2026 09:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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archaeologyScientists think they finally know why Neanderthals vanished
A new study suggests Neanderthals didn’t go extinct simply because of climate change or competition with Homo sapiens. Instead, the key difference may have been social connectivity—Homo sapiens formed stronger, more flexible networks that helped them survive environmental shocks. Neanderthals had connections too, but they were more fragile and regionally limited. This made them less resilient as conditions became increasingly unpredictable.
There have been many theories about why Neanderthals died out as a distinct species, but the most likely -- after they survived a great deal of other calamities -- is a confluence of factors piling together to overwhelm their resilience. This kind of stacking-to-collapse is a common reason why species go extinct.
A new study suggests Neanderthals didn’t go extinct simply because of climate change or competition with Homo sapiens. Instead, the key difference may have been social connectivity—Homo sapiens formed stronger, more flexible networks that helped them survive environmental shocks. Neanderthals had connections too, but they were more fragile and regionally limited. This made them less resilient as conditions became increasingly unpredictable.
There have been many theories about why Neanderthals died out as a distinct species, but the most likely -- after they survived a great deal of other calamities -- is a confluence of factors piling together to overwhelm their resilience. This kind of stacking-to-collapse is a common reason why species go extinct.
