Why did the Neanderthals go extinct?

This is a question which keeps coming up. And the reason it pops up again and again is that no answer given has ever been satisfactory enough to lead readers to conclude that “this is it”.

First of all, we cannot say with certainty whether or not the Neanderthals were rh negative. An old article claiming that “Neanderthals were universal donors” was unsubstantiated. It is true that the 2 specimens examined in Spain were tested as being blood type O. The rh factor however has not been indicated. And it could have also been the case that these specimens were AO or BO with the A or B allele having deteriorated over time.

Since the Neanderthals were very diverse, it could have also been the case that some were rh negative and others not. Again: When people make claims, demand proof. Then send it my way!

Neanderthals awaken the curiosity in many people, so it comes to no surprise that rumors keep appearing just to quickly be exposed as just that. The issue is that once a rumor gets started, it often sticks to the readers’ minds for many years to come. And in an effort to clear up some of these rumors, this article hopefully can shine a light on what has never been properly explained.

The 2 Asian specimens examined by the Max Planck Institute were both rh +/+ homozygotes. Those specimens were from the Denisova cave in the Altai region.

So were they truly Neanderthals or Denisovans?

In 2011, a toe bone was discovered in the cave, in layer 11.4 of the East Gallery, and therefore contemporary with the Denisovan finger bone. Preliminary characterization of the bone’s mitochondrial DNA suggested it belonged to a Neanderthal, not a Denisovan. Later analysis confirmed the toe bone as coming from a Neanderthal. The first high-coverage genome of Neanderthals was taken from this toe bone.

I have been in touch with Svante Pääbo and Kay Prüfer to find out whether or not the specimens examined were rh negative or rh positive. Sure enough they were not only rh positive, but homozygotes meaning they were not even recessive negative:

As far as I can tell from the informative position that determines rhesus type in humans, both are homozygous rhesus positive.

Mind you, Neanderthals could have been more diverse than humans today. So it could have easily been the case that certain groups were rh negative while others not. And it would definitely make sense that there was absence of the rh negative blood factor in many parts of Asia.

But whether or not the Neanderthals were actually rh negative, is only one question. Until we can answer this one, I will address the ones which I can.

While in Asia rh negative blood is low, it was completely absent from Native American tribes. This indicates that at the time of migrations from Asia to the Americas, much of Asia was missing the rh negative blood factor completely. While much of Europeans’ ancestry includes Neanderthals, much of Asians’ ancestry does Denisovans. It is fair to assume, that Denisovans were not rh negative.

So why did the Neanderthals become extinct? Let’s first examine who they truly were and which rumors have been expelled:

1) Neanderthals were not cannibals.

This claim has been made as Neanderthal bones with teeth marks have been found. It was assumed, that these marks were created by other Neanderthals consuming their flesh. This quick claim would be in stark contrast to the burial rituals of their dead. But I will get to that specifically in a minute. It has later been stated, that these bite marks could have easily come from animals.

There is also a strong possibility, that these bite marks came from modern humans who not just killed off male Neanderthal population over time, but also ate their victims. Cannibalism in early humans has been proven to exist. As for cannibalism among Neanderthals: It was a quick conclusion and likely simply the opinion of one or few scientists promoted by journalists seeking to create headlines.

2) Neanderthals were compassionate

The findings of bones of old-aged Neanderthals with deformations due to accidents in childhood or youth indicates that despite the fact they were too disabled to take care of themselves, the community did.

It is quite known that Neanderthals were the first to bury their dead, but did you know that many of their graves had flowers on them?

Watch “Neanderthals on Trial” to learn more.

3) Neanderthals were more advanced than early humans of that time

It is easy to assume that the extinction of Neanderthals was a part of evolution. It is always popular to see oneself as the pinnacle of such. But that was not the casein this case. Neanderthals had larger cranial capacities than humans today which could actually indicate higher levels of intelligence. Rather than their extinction being an evolutionary event due to intellect lacking, it could have been an evolutionary setback due to being unprepared for the attacks wiping out their male population over time.

4) Neanderthals were very socially aware

They were very good parents. Mind you, there are still places where kids are expected to take care of their parents and not the other way around.

It seems Neanderthals were productive within their small communities and their nature was not to compete with each others, but rather work together. They were self-sufficient.

We can only imagine how their society functioned, but it would be fair to assume that they were content with the lives which they have lived and could have been a great example of social interaction working as intended.

Neanderthals seemed to prepare their children for their future lives making the next generations more important than their own. Similar attitudes can be seen within the Basque communities as well as Jewish culture.

5) Anatomical difference to humans existed, but were minor

Many of their traits show up in humans today. There are also claims allergies, depression etc. come from them. Mind you, that those could be symptoms of discomfort in today’s world. And as mentioned, a large cranium could have meant high levels of intelligence.

6) Neanderthals had advanced eye-sight

Neanderthal brains were adapted to allow them to see better and maintain larger bodies, according to new research. Although Neanderthals’ brains were similar in size to their contemporary modern human counterparts, fresh analysis of fossil data suggests that their brain structure was rather different. Results imply that larger areas of the Neanderthal brain, compared to the modern human brain, were given over to vision and movement and this left less room for the higher level thinking required to form large social groups.

Parts of this article require explaining.

‘Since Neanderthals evolved at higher latitudes and also have bigger bodies than modern humans, more of the Neanderthal brain would have been dedicated to vision and body control, leaving less brain to deal with other functions like social networking,’ explains lead author Eiluned Pearce from the Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology at the University of Oxford.

Why should too much brain function be required to deal with social networking? Shouldn’t that part be something more instinct driven? I strongly disagree with this part. And needless to say, opinions such as those are leading towards assumptions that autism not only comes from Neanderthals, but that actual skills are less important than an ability to fit in.

Overall, they were equipped for the life they have lived. Be it being hairy to keep them warmer or being strong enabling them to hunt better. There is far too much focus on the difference of appearance to modern humans than wanting to understand how they impact us today in a positive manner. Which is what has motivated me to highlight those parts before getting into what the title of this post has promised to answer:

So why did the Neanderthals not manage to survive?

The answer is numbers.

It is likely that modern humans arrived in Europe in large groups of males. Neanderthals had for tens of thousands of years been self-sufficient and didn’t see a need for defense.

They were in small groups seperate from each others and managed to take care of their groups without the need to interfere in others’. There was plenty of wildlife to hunt. They had to prepare for harsh winters depending on the region they have lived in, but their mere survival indicates they managed.

They understood the need to work together and it worked. Likely, they have had plenty of time for things other than just hunting and eating. Painting on cave walls were just a partial indicator. It shows creativity as well as inventive minds.

Despite the fact that around 3% of European DNA is traced back to Neanderthals, Neanderthal y-DNA is completely absent from us. The claim that their mtDNA is also absent from us is wrong as I have pointed out in a previous article. Many modern mtDNA haplogroups derive from them.

Do you see where this is leading?

“Human nature” is seeking strength in large groups. But it didn’t seem like Neanderthals were interested or feeling the need to assemble in large numbers. Small groups of around 30 seemed to work best for them to live in. And when you talk about “the Neanderthals”, mind you that at the time they were not aware of the populations which would wind up arriving later. They knew who they were and didn’t look at themselves as “the Neanderthals”, but rather THE inhabitants of their region.

There was no Neanderthals coming together as one against invadors. They were isolated from other Neanderthal groups and the slaughter likely took place over thousands of years. Not a quick war of Neanderthals vs. humans.

Being defenseless due to them living in small groups and not organizing for upcoming invasions with other Neanderthal groups, they were overpowered. This has happened many times throughout history where the entire male line was completely replaced. It happened lateron to the Proto-Basques. 5,000 year old burial grounds in the Pyrenees show complete absence of R1b, the y-DNA haplogroup associated with the Proto-Celts who later invaded them, killed off the men and took the women.

Life today is a result of invadors being victorious. The winner writes history. But who won?

Conclusion:

Over time, Neanderthals living in small groups isolated from one another were likely invaded by large groups of modern human males killing off the male population of Neanderthals. Female Neanderthals were mated with continuing the mtDNA of Neanderthals in modern humans and carrying on remnants of their genetic make-up. But their culture was destroyed and you can only see glimpses of such in today’s human society.

See also:

The original Basques were not Celtic
Who were the Neanderthals and why should we care?