The Neanderthals Rediscovered: How Modern Science Is Rewriting Their Story (The Rediscovered Series)

For Too Long The Neanderthals Have Been Seen As Evolutionary Dead-ends But Advances In Dna Technologies Have Forced A Reassessment Of Their Place In Our Own Past. This Extensively Illustrated Book Looks At The Neanderthals From Their Evolution In Europe To Their Expansion To Siberia And Their Subsequent Extinction. It Turns Out That The Neanderthals' Behaviour Was Surprisingly Modern So What Caused Their Extinction? This Is One Of Many Mysteries That We Are Closer To Solving. They Evolved In Europe In Parallel To The Homo Sapiens Line Evolving In Africa. When Both Species Made Their First Moves Into Asia, The Neanderthals May Even Have Had The Upper Hand. The Superiority Of Homo Sapiens Suddenly Seems Less Obvious Or Inevitable. "In the first complete chronological narrative of the species from emergence to extinction...archaeologist Dimitra Papagianni and science historian Michael Morse have shaped a gem." —Nature In recent years, the common perception of the Neanderthals has been transformed, thanks to new discoveries and paradigm-shattering scientific innovations. It turns out that the Neanderthals’ behavior was surprisingly modern: they buried the dead, cared for the sick, hunted large animals in their prime, harvested seafood, and communicated with spoken language. Meanwhile, advances in DNA technologies are compelling us to reassess the Neanderthals’ place in our own past. For hundreds of thousands of years, Neanderthals evolved in Europe parallel to Homo sapiens evolving in Africa, and, when both species made their first forays into Asia, the Neanderthals may even have had the upper hand. In this important volume, Dimitra Papagianni and Michael A. Morse compile the first full chronological narrative of the Neanderthals’ dramatic existence—from their evolution in Europe to their expansion to Siberia, their subsequent extinction, and ultimately their revival in popular novels, cartoons, cult movies, and television commercials. For too long the Neanderthals have been seen as dim-witted evolutionary dead-enders who looked and behaved completely differently from us, but in recent years their story has been transformed thanks to new discoveries and advances in scientific techniques. In a compelling narrative one that has not previously been told in a way that encompasses the entire dramatic arc from evolution to expansion to extinction this book takes a fresh and engaging look at the whole story of the Neanderthals, setting out all the evidence, redressing the balance and arriving at a fairer assessment of a species that was closely related to us and in so doing addresses what it is to be human For hundreds of thousands of years, Neanderthals evolved in Europe very much in parallel to the Homo sapiens line evolving in Africa, and, when both species made their first forays into Asia, the Neanderthals may even have had the upper hand. Here, Dimitra Papagianni and Michael A. Morse look at the Neanderthals through the full dramatic arc of their existence--from their evolution in Europe to their expansion to Siberia, their subsequent extinction, and ultimately their revival in popular novels, cartoons, cult movies, and TV commercials