Until recently the Neanderthals were all clear. Those stupid barbarians disappeared with the advent of our smart ancestors Homo sapiens or Homo sapiens. This point of view, adhered to for a long time. This conclusion was almost an axiom.
Currently, however, this thesis is being rapidly destroyed by scientists. The strongest blow was dealt by genetics, seeing that all people living on Earth at the present time, 2 to 4 percent of Neanderthals. Each has their genes.
So that's where the modern man so much stupidity and barbarism, some would think. However, scientists have studied the brain of Neanderthals. It turned out that they weren't so dense. A real "bomb" was the discovery they have a gene responsible for the formation of speech.
Of course, if to compare the modern human and Neanderthal, there will be differences. In Neanderthals in comparison with modern man, less white matter, respectively, in the brains of Neanderthals were formed fewer connections, which are responsible for the ability to memorize words and learn. Smaller the area of the gray matter that is involved in processing information are also lower than some other parts of the brain. All this has allowed some scholars to argue that Neanderthals were behind in the development of Homo sapiens. However, their opponents this conclusion does not agree. They stated that the analysis of ancient DNA yet imperfect, so trust it less likely. In addition, it is still unknown determine whether differences in DNA differences in thinking? Maybe the Neanderthals just thought otherwise, and were not dense.
The sensational discoveries made by archaeologists, discovered various findings that show that Neanderthals had a remarkable intelligence. And all this before the arrival of Homo sapiens.
For example, found many different types of jewelry, in particular beads from snail shells. Some decorations about 50 thousand years. However were discovered and more ancient jewellery, of which about 90 thousand years. The most ancient artefacts found in the Netherlands, age about 200-250 thousand years. As these findings are associated with thinking? Scientists claim that the art, the decoration of the body are an essential indicator of mental abilities. They mean that the author was able to think abstractly and translate the information into symbols. This implies that, perhaps, he had and language.
Another fact testifying to the mental faculties, is tools. In 2013 in France on two sites of the Neanderthal were found bone tools – floats, intended for skin treatment. They were made from the ribs of a deer. On the other Parking lot were found twisted vegetable fiber that could be used to create ropes, and for weaving bags, nets, traps. Another discovery was that for a long time (about 2.5-5.4 thousand years), both groups co-existed together in Europe. Neanderthals became extinct about 40 thousand years ago. But why Neanderthals became extinct while our ancestors survived and gained world domination?
Why Neanderthals became extinct
Nowadays more and more scientists are inclined to think that the Neanderthals lost to our ancestors not "qualitatively" and quantitatively. American Professor David Freyer believes that the number of arrivals to Europe from Africa of Homo sapiens has grown exponentially, and Neanderthals have never been too much. "These migrants are in competition with counterparts in Africa were forced to hone a means of survival, to invent, to compete, says Freyer. – Coming into Europe, they met no serious resistance. Because Neanderthals were not a lot. Thus, it is not in their stupidity or inability to adapt to changing conditions, but the number of them".
