Why Do You Think The Neanderthals Became Extinct?
The Neanderthals became extinct about 30 thousand years ago and were replaced by other homo sapiens such as the Cro-Magnons (Bower 2006:358). The Neanderthals disappeared at the same time humans starting coming to Europe from Africa. A combination of many factors led to the disappearance of the Neanderthals, however, the most important causes include their method of hunting, starvation due to climatic change and their disadvantageous lifestyle.
Neanderthals became extinct because of the method they used to hunt for their prey. Their diet consisted mainly of mega herbivores, which the Neanderthals hunted (Geist 2000). However, they were close quarter hunters, that is, they were in close proximity to their prey when they were out hunting and therefore more susceptible to sustain injuries such as bone ruptures during their lifetime. These injuries often immobilized them, which made it easy for them to be killed while hunting. Cro-Magnons, on the other hand, hunted by capturing their preys from a distance by throwing spears that contained sharp blades, which immobilized their prey upon contact (Viegas 2004). Hence, the disadvantageous technique of the Neanderthals contributed to the decline in their numbers and their eventual extinction.
Another reason for the extinction of the Neanderthals was because of the starvation due to the reduction of food resources from fluctuating climatic conditions and their inability to adapt. The change in the climatic conditions 40 thousand years ago with development of an interstadial (warm period between glacial advances) created a problem for the Neanderthals (Geist 2000). A region of coniferous forest began to spread which reduced the efficiency of the land – the most important thing Neanderthals depended upon. Moreover, at the same time, the concentration of the mega-herbivores was lowered significantly (Viegas 2004). The Neanderthals were used to killing large creatures,...
