A new Science Daily article reports that American and UK researchers have brought new evidence to light that crushes a long held belief that Neanderthals went extinct because they could not compete with Homo-Sapiens in areas requiring intelligence. For 60 years it had been a commonly held belief that in the area of tool making, homo-sapiens outstripped and out performed those of neanderthals. Researchers spent three years producing stone tools. Archaeologists often use the development of stone blades and their assumed efficiency as proof of Homo sapiens' superior intellect. Yet when scientists compared the type of blades created by homo-sapiens to those of the neanderthal they found that there were no fundamental difference in efficiency and effectiveness in either tool types. In fact, their findings showed that in some respects the flakes favoured by Neanderthals were more efficient than the blades adopted by Homo sapiens. Far from clearing up the mystery of why the neanderthal became extint, it now has deepened it. It has been shown that neanderthal was equal in hunting, had no real disadvantage in communicating and now in some cases, superiour tools.
<- read more of the science daily article ->
graphic via Rhagor
<- read more of the science daily article ->
graphic via Rhagor
