How Did Neanderthals Survive for Over 350,000 Years Until Their Extinction Around 40,000 Years Ago? — Here’s What Researchers Found Out

Neanderthals or Homo neanderthalensis were believed to have lived in Europe and parts of Asia long before our ancestors arrived there. They are considered the closest extinct human relatives of Homo sapiens, the modern human species. Appearing around 400,000 years ago, they are estimated to have existed for over 350,000 years.

In other words, they have lived and survived far longer than us, and in a much harsher environment. To last that long, they may have succeeded in overcoming several challenges that life and their circumstances presented to them. So, how exactly did this species become successful, and what eventually caused their extinction? Let’s explore these questions and ideas.

Strong Bodies, Cold Adaptations, and Robust Tools

To exist for over 350,000 years as a species is a very impressive feat. Neanderthals’ survival is a testament to how adaptable and resilient they are. One of the most significant factors that may have contributed to their success was their bodies. They are bulkier and have more robust bones than modern humans.

Their torsos are wider, their limbs are shorter, and their overall bodies are more stockier. In other words, compared to Homo sapiens, Neanderthals were thought to be more powerful and physically stronger. To be able to maintain this body type, their diet must have been rich in meat.

Neanderthals are thought to be very good hunters. They have a good mastery of stone tools and are believed to have developed wooden and stone-headed spears. Their build and use of tools allowed them to hunt bigger animals rich in meat, like mammoths, horses, and deer.

Additionally, their bodies are also well-suited for the ice age environment. The features that they have developed, which are most likely evolutionary adaptations, allow them to conserve heat in cold climates better than modern humans do.

Read more: Science Direct

Flexibility, Local Knowledge, and Cultural Strategies

Scientists Discovered How Neanderthals Conquered the Ice Age

Neanderthals not only depended on their natural bodies to survive, but instead have also relied on their knowledge about their local landscapes and being ecologically flexible. They are a species that could move places to find food and shelter based on the seasons.

They used caves, rock overhangs, and even hearths. Moreover, they also have a varied diet, and do not only focus on hunting big game, although that is thought to be one of their primary sources of food. They adjusted to their environments, so if the resources present included plants and other forms of meat like fish and birds, they were able to adapt and incorporate them in their diets.

They also lived through multiple glacial periods or ice age environments. So, they learn how to make clothing to keep their bodies warmer. It was made from the skin and hides of big animals they have hunted. Their culture also included a social structure where they helped each other survive, even if they were thought to live in smaller groups than Homo sapiens.

Challenges Over Time: Climate Change, Competition, and Small Populations

So, it is clear that Neanderthals were very adaptable and intelligent. They actually have a bigger average brain size than modern humans, both in sheer size and in proportionality to the body. A larger brain doesn’t necessarily mean they are smarter, but it does mean that they are capable of a wide range of cognitive abilities, like possibly the use of language and a complex social network.

However, even the mighty and smart Neanderthals faced a challenge that they would not be able to overcome. One of the biggest ones is climate change. During their existence on Earth, ice ages came and went. It meant that their environments often shifted, like forests expanding and then contracting, or colder areas reaching down south.

These environmental changes force Neanderthals to adapt repeatedly over generations. Their habitat range was also fragmented, causing a larger population to be harder to maintain. This led to another problem, which was their smaller groups and genetic isolation. Soon, these factors combined with a few more would catch up to them and eventually cause their species’ extinction.

Read more: BioMed Central

Why They Eventually Disappeared Around 40,000 Years Ago

What Caused The Extinction Of The Neanderthals? | The Neanderthal in Us

Neanderthals lived in smaller groups, which meant their genetic diversity was already limited. They were prone to inbreeding, and combined with the reduced possibility of helpful mutations due to genetic bottlenecks, they became more vulnerable. They had a harder time adapting to new diseases, harsher winters, and famine. Over time, it becomes harder and harder to recover from the different factors that cause their setbacks as a species.

Then, one of their biggest challenge, if not the most significant, is the arrival of Homo sapiens or the modern human species on their continent. This meeting happened around 50,000 years ago, when Homo sapiens migrated out of Africa. These two species had a complex relationship, where they are thought to have competed with each other but also interbred in some instances.

They could have possibly shared culture, including tools and knowledge. It was also probable that the already genetically vulnerable Neanderthals received pathogens that caused diseases they were not immune to when they met the humans.

All of these factors, including the climate changes, genetic bottlenecks, and competition with Homo sapiens, are believed to have caused the eventual extinction of Neanderthals around 40,000 years ago, and not just attributed to a single reason. However, while they are extinct now, it is estimated that the non-African population today carries about 1 to 2% of their DNA. So, in a way, part of them still lives with us.

Author's Final Thoughts

Neanderthals are already extinct today, but lasting for over 350,000 years is still very impressive as a species. They were able to survive for a long time because they were well-adapted to tough climates, knew how to use advanced tools, and used complex social strategies.

But, over time, the combination of environmental changes and unpredictability, small population sizes, genetic bottlenecks, and competition with other human species made the challenges too extreme to overcome. However, the stories and DNA they left behind still showed us just how intricate human evolution could be, underscoring the fragility and complexity of survival as a species.

Read next: Did Humans Evolve to Sleep in One Long Stretch, or Was Segmented Sleep the Historical Norm? — Here’s What Researchers Suggest

References & Further Reading

Hublin, J. J. (2009). The origin of Neandertals. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.0904119106

Higham, T., et al. (2014). The timing and spatiotemporal patterning of Neanderthal disappearance. Nature. https://www.nature.com/articles/nature13621

Melchionna, M., Di Febbraro, M., Carotenuto, F., Rook, L., Mondanaro, A., Castiglione, S., Serio, C., Vero, V. A., Tesone, G., Piccolo, M., Diniz-Filho, J. A. F., & Raia, P. (2018). Fragmentation of Neanderthals’ pre-extinction distribution by climate change. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 496, 146–154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2018.01.031