For almost 300 thousand years, Homo Neanderthals managed to survive through extreme weather.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010, 12:24 GMT
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A cave in the mountainous north Caucasus region is likely to be the key to an unsolved mystery for centuries which is why the Neanderthals, an early human species that is closest to modern humans extinct.
In fact, for almost 300 thousand years, mankind has thick eyebrows, broad-shouldered who lived in Europe and Asia are managed to survive through cold weather conditions are extremely severe than ever experienced by modern man today. However, about 40 thousand years ago, the numbers are shrinking, and around 28 thousand years ago, the Neanderthals were gone.
Widespread population of modern humans (homo sapiens) to rapid weather changes debated by paleoanthropologists as a cause of human extinction Neander (Homo neanderthalensis). However, the latest findings prove that massive volcanic eruption was the one who kill Neanderthals and make way for modern humans to take his place.
As quoted from Scientific American, December 8, 2010, a group of researchers led by Liubov Vitaliena ANO Golovanova of the Laboratory of Prehistory in Saint Petersburg, Russia, managed to examine the mineral content in the cave Mezmaiskaya located in the southwest region of Russia.
The cave was first discovered by archaeologists in 1987 had proved to be home to Neanderthals and modern humans.
By analyzing the various stratigraphic layers, the researchers found volcanic ash layers based on the geochemical composition of the dust that comes from volcanic eruptions in the Caucasus region of about 40 thousand years ago. Since the cave is saving a long history as a place to live Neandertals before the dust layer and no signs of life after a layer of Neanderthals, the research team assumed that the eruption of the mountain as destruction local residents.
After researching more widely in the vicinity of Eurasia, the researchers discovered that volcanic eruptions also in conjunction with the disappearance of Neanderthals from various regions, and only a small number of Neanderthals who fled to the south who had survived.
In a paper published in Current Anthropoloyg, volcanic eruption that led to what is called a volcanic winter resulting in mass death Neandertals and prey. And the bad luck that befell Neandertal was a blessing for modern people who live in the south which is not affected by volcanic activity.
Once the Neanderthal extinction, researchers theorize, modern humans can spread to the northern region without any resistance.
The result of these findings have a variety of responses. Francesco G. Fedele, researchers from the University of Naples in the Italian states, the age of volcanic ash in the cave was not strong enough to make conclusions. However, Paul B. Pettit, researchers from the University of Sheffield, England said the theory expressed Golovanova and his team quite reasonable.
The researchers agree, volcanic eruptions did brighten up theories that have sprung up, however, the exact cause of the puzzle is still far from the demise of Neanderthals solved.
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