Humans drove out Neanderthals from Africa, scientists claim - TODAYonline

Neanderthals in Europe died out because they were overrun by hordes of modern humans from Africa, scientists have claimed.

The Homo sapiens arrived in swarms that outnumbered the Neanderthals by at least 10 to one, putting the natives at a massive disadvantage in competition for food, fuel and shelter.

Modern humans would also have been likely to triumph in any conflicts between the two species because of their larger and more coordinated social groups, researchers said.

This could solve the mystery of why Neanderthals were unable to compete with modern humans despite having flourished in the icy landscape of central and western Europe for the previous 300,000 years.

Writing in the Science journal, the researchers said humans also had more sophisticated hunting equipment, better means of storing and preserving food through the long, freezing winters, and better trade links with neighbouring communities.

Professor Sir Paul Mellars, who led the study, said: "It was clearly this range of new technological and behavioural innovations which allowed the modern human populations to invade and survive in much larger population numbers than those of the preceding Neanderthals across the whole of the European continent." THE DAILY TELEGRAPH