A major question surrounding Neanderthal extinction is why they vanished so soon after Homo sapiens arrived in Europe. While some have speculated that humans hunted Neanderthals to extinction or had superior intellect, new evidence points to environmental factors.
Prof. Krause explains that both Neanderthals and humans faced extinction in the same period, suggesting that it was the unstable climate of the time—shifting between cold and warm spells—that played a role in both species’ disappearance. Neanderthals, with their smaller population and lower genetic diversity, were particularly vulnerable.
Prof. Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum in London adds that climate instability could have been a tipping point. “Neanderthals were fewer in number and had less genetic diversity than the modern humans they lived alongside. It may not have taken much to push them over the edge.”
Research has shown that modern humans inherited some essential genetic traits from Neanderthals—most notably related to immune function. When humans first left Africa, they were highly susceptible to diseases they’d never encountered before. By interbreeding with Neanderthals, early humans gained immune protection that helped them survive in new environments.
Prof. Stringer suggests that Neanderthal DNA provided humans with a “quick fix” to their immune systems. “Neanderthals had evolved in the harsh climates of Europe, while humans had evolved in Africa,” he says. “By mixing their genes, we gained adaptive capabilities that helped us thrive outside Africa.”
These findings highlight the vital role Neanderthals played in the survival and success of modern humans, reshaping our understanding of how we became the dominant species on Earth.