EVA HAMRUD, METAFACT
13 MARCH 2021
After 400,000 years of roaming Europe and Asia, Neanderthals disappeared. Why this happened is a contentious topic amongst experts. It is possible that our ancestors may have directly or indirectly contributed to this extinction, but the extent of our role remains to be determined.
Our distant cousins, the Neanderthals, lived for around 400,000 years in Europe and some parts of Asia. From 80,000 years ago, their populations began to decrease, and, eventually, they disappeared 50,000 years later.
Our species,
Homo sapiens, evolved in Africa around 200,000 years ago. Around the time that the Neanderthal populations were decreasing,
H. sapiens began leaving the African continent and populating Asia and Europe.