“Intellectually Inferior” Humans Drove Neanderthals to Extinction

Neanderthals were our closest relatives, but they vanished millennia ago. Today, there are 8.1 billion humans and no Neanderthals.

However, Slimak argues that ancient Homo sapiens were “probably no match for Neanderthal populations and was in all likelihood intellectually inferior,” particularly in terms of creativity.

Slimak, however, attributes their demise to early humans despite their intellectual inferiority. He suggests that without human interference, Neanderthals might still exist.

Neanderthals, with their muscular build, prominent brow, and less pronounced chin, spread into northwestern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Southern Siberia long before Homo sapiens.

Slimak’s hypothesis is based on his 2008 discovery in a Southern France cave.

Although there is no direct evidence of conflict, Slimak suggests humans eventually replaced Neanderthals, as evidenced by humans being the final occupants of the cave around 44,000 years ago.

Slimak notes that Neanderthals, though “excellent artisans” with remarkable creativity, could not compete with humans’ regimented weapon production, leading to their extinction. “Modern humans who colonized Europe produced weapons that were both more numerous and more effective,” he wrote.

However, genetic data does not reveal much about the nature of their interactions. More archaeological evidence, like Slimak’s cave, is needed.

This coincides with the Neanderthals’ disappearance, complicating precise dating.

If they coexisted for several millennia, their interactions were likely more complex than a simple conquest.

However, human colonization is not the sole reason for Neanderthals’ extinction. Neanderthals were already facing population decline and genetic issues when humans arrived, with climate change adding to their challenges.

He concludes that Neanderthals disappeared from the archaeological record with the arrival of Homo sapiens.