New radiocarbon
dates point to longer coexistence but earlier extinction
A new study published in the
journal Nature suggests that
Neanderthals persisted alongside modern humans in Europe for as long as 5,000
years after the arrival of the latter. A team lead by Tom Higham at Oxford
obtained 196 AMS radiocarbon dates from 40 sites across Europe, relying on improved
techniques to remove young carbon contamination. The results also indicate that
the Neanderthals were probably extinct no later than 41,000 to 39,000 years
ago.
Although it was once believed
that Neanderthals and modern humans had coexisted for up to 10,000 years, work
in the middle of the last decade suggested that the overlap was very brief. The new results represent a reversion to the
earlier position, albeit pushed further back in time since it is now believed
that modern humans first reached Europe about 46,000 years ago (Higham’s team suggest
the date was around 45,000 years ago).
The new dates may resolve long-running
controversy over the Châtelperronian culture, with is believed to be of
Neanderthal origin but incorporates elements associated with modern human
behaviour. The dates indicate that the Châtelperronian began around 45,000
years ago, suggesting that it was influenced by interaction with modern humans.
The Châtelperronian comes to an end at about the same time as the Mousterian,
about 41,000 to 39,000 years ago
.
The researchers were
unfortunately unable to obtain any dates for remains from Gorham’s Cave, Gibraltar,
where Neanderthal survival after 30,000 years ago has been claimed.
The lengthy overlap rules out
the in any case improbable hypothesis that modern humans hunted down and
exterminated the Neanderthals. It is more likely that a combination of increased
competition for limited resources and the Heinrich Event 4 climatic downturn
40,000 years ago was responsible.
References:
Higham, T. et al., The timing and spatiotemporal patterning of Neanderthal disappearance. Nature 512, 306-309 (2014).
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