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Neanderthal Extinction by Competitive Exclusion

Author

Listed:
  • William E Banks
  • Francesco d'Errico
  • A Townsend Peterson
  • Masa Kageyama
  • Adriana Sima
  • Maria-Fernanda Sánchez-Goñi

Abstract

Background: Despite a long history of investigation, considerable debate revolves around whether Neanderthals became extinct because of climate change or competition with anatomically modern humans (AMH). Methodology/Principal Findings: We apply a new methodology integrating archaeological and chronological data with high-resolution paleoclimatic simulations to define eco-cultural niches associated with Neanderthal and AMH adaptive systems during alternating cold and mild phases of Marine Isotope Stage 3. Our results indicate that Neanderthals and AMH exploited similar niches, and may have continued to do so in the absence of contact. Conclusions/Significance: The southerly contraction of Neanderthal range in southwestern Europe during Greenland Interstadial 8 was not due to climate change or a change in adaptation, but rather concurrent AMH geographic expansion appears to have produced competition that led to Neanderthal extinction.

Suggested Citation

  • William E Banks & Francesco d'Errico & A Townsend Peterson & Masa Kageyama & Adriana Sima & Maria-Fernanda Sánchez-Goñi, 2008. "Neanderthal Extinction by Competitive Exclusion," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 3(12), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0003972
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0003972
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Clive Finlayson & Francisco Giles Pacheco & Joaquín Rodríguez-Vidal & Darren A. Fa & José María Gutierrez López & Antonio Santiago Pérez & Geraldine Finlayson & Ethel Allue & Javier Baena Preysler & I, 2006. "Late survival of Neanderthals at the southernmost extreme of Europe," Nature, Nature, vol. 443(7113), pages 850-853, October.
    2. Richard E. Green & Johannes Krause & Susan E. Ptak & Adrian W. Briggs & Michael T. Ronan & Jan F. Simons & Lei Du & Michael Egholm & Jonathan M. Rothberg & Maja Paunovic & Svante Pääbo, 2006. "Analysis of one million base pairs of Neanderthal DNA," Nature, Nature, vol. 444(7117), pages 330-336, November.
    3. P. C. Tzedakis & K. A. Hughen & I. Cacho & K. Harvati, 2007. "Placing late Neanderthals in a climatic context," Nature, Nature, vol. 449(7159), pages 206-208, September.
    4. Brad Gravina & Paul Mellars & Christopher Bronk Ramsey, 2005. "Radiocarbon dating of interstratified Neanderthal and early modern human occupations at the Chatelperronian type-site," Nature, Nature, vol. 438(7064), pages 51-56, November.
    5. Paul Mellars, 2006. "A new radiocarbon revolution and the dispersal of modern humans in Eurasia," Nature, Nature, vol. 439(7079), pages 931-935, February.
    6. Paul Mellars, 2004. "Neanderthals and the modern human colonization of Europe," Nature, Nature, vol. 432(7016), pages 461-465, November.
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