Named a new reason for the extinction of the ancient people
An international group of scientists found that one of the main causes of disappearance of Neanderthals could be global cooling. About it reported in a press release on EurekAlert.
Upstairs
The researchers analyzed the chemical composition of annual layers of stalagmites in the caves of Romania, the age of which reached several tens of thousands of years. It was found that approximately 40-44 thousands of years ago in Europe the climate became extremely dry and cold. It lasted a few centuries or millennia, and the corresponding period of the archaeological layers do not contain manufactured Neanderthal artifacts.
According to scientists, modern humans survived this cold period, because it was better adapted to the environment than the Neanderthals. The latter were less varied diet, and they heavily depended on animals that were hunted. In the cold weather, food sources become poorer, what did archaic people more vulnerable to climate change. Homo sapiens ate not only meat but also fish and plants, and rich diet contributed to their survival.