The Invaders: How Humans and Their Dogs Drove Neanderthals to Extinction by Pat Shipman

[gilda_elise]

With their large brains, sturdy physique, sophisticated tools, and hunting skills, Neanderthals are the closest known relatives to humans. Approximately 200,000 years ago, as modern humans began to radiate out from their evolutionary birthplace in Africa, Neanderthals were already thriving in Europe--descendants of a much earlier migration of the African genus Homo. But when modern humans eventually made their way to Europe 45,000 years ago, Neanderthals suddenly vanished. Ever since the first Neanderthal bones were identified in 1856, scientists have been vexed by the question, why did modern humans survive while their evolutionary cousins went extinct?

The Invaders musters compelling evidence to show that the major factor in the Neanderthals' demise was direct competition with newly arriving humans. Drawing on insights from the field of invasion biology, which predicts that the species ecologically closest to the invasive predator will face the greatest competition, Pat Shipman traces the devastating impact of a growing human population: reduction of Neanderthals' geographic range, isolation into small groups, and loss of genetic diversity.

But modern humans were not the only invaders who competed with Neanderthals for big game. Shipman reveals fascinating confirmation of humans' partnership with the first domesticated wolf-dogs soon after Neanderthals first began to disappear. This alliance between two predator species, she hypothesizes, made possible an unprecedented degree of success in hunting large Ice Age mammals--a distinct and ultimately decisive advantage for humans over Neanderthals at a time when climate change made both groups vulnerable.

There are several intriguing ideas regarding how the histories of three species, Neanderthal, human, and wolf, came together. Though I suppose collided would describe it better. I was especially taken with how the author names human as the invasive species that they were, invading new lands and bringing about the demise of the indigenous species, a legacy we seem to have carried on. And the theory makes more sense to me than that climate change brought about Neaderthal’s extinction, as they had gone through many other severe climate changes before in their long history and survived just fine.

But the title is somewhat misleading, as even the author admits that Neanderthals may very well have already gone extinct by the time wolves had evolved into dogs. But the idea that two top predators, human and wolf, would create a partnership that would cause the extinction of many of the other top predators, was a compelling one.

Well written, always interesting, a good solid read.



Mount TBR 2017 Book Links

Links are to more information regarding each book or author, not to the review.

1. The Lost Girls
2. Hillbilly Elegy
3. Our Revolution
4. Requiem for Athens
5. Dark Angels
6. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
7. The Last Kingdom
8. The Lost Child of Philomena Lee: A Mother, Her Son and a 50 Year Search
9. And Then All Hell Broke Loose: Two Decades in the Middle East
10. Now Face to Face
11. Our Endless Numbered Days
12.Dean and Me: (A Love Story)
13. This Changes Everything
14. Richard III and the Murder in the Tower
15. The Apocalypse
16. The Old Neighborhood: What We Lost in the Great Suburban Migration, 1966-1999
17. The Snow Child
18. Stonehenge
19. Royal Blood: King Richard III and the Mystery of the Princes
20. To the Bright Edge of the World
21. How the Dog Became the Dog: From Wolves to Our Best Friends
22. The Hollow Man
23. The Invaders: How Humans and Their Dogs Drove Neanderthals to Extinction

Comments

[spikesgirl58.livejournal.com]

Again, a tip of the hat to you. This one sounds like a strong contender to get shoved into my 'to be read' stack. Thanks! :D

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. :-) And I really think you'll enjoy this one. Not just because of the subject matter, but because the author always keeps it interesting.

[spikesgirl58.livejournal.com]

That's the best part. A good author can make anything interesting.

[fansee.livejournal.com]

Hmmm...sounds interesting. Neanderthals, their culture and extinction have always interested me. Shipman is a retired adjunct professor of archeology at Penn State, so she may be on to something here. However, before I'd read it, I'd have to know more about the topic than the bits and bobs I've picked up from newspaper articles.

This book, The Neanderthals Rediscovered: How Modern Science Is Rewriting Their Story (Revised and Updated Edition) 2nd Edition
by Dimitra Papagianni (Author), Michael A. Morse (Author), sounds like it might be a good place to start. I might put it on my TBR list. FanSee

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

I have to admit, I don't know a great deal about Neanderthals, mostly what I've picked up in anthropology articles. Checking Amazon, the book you mention seems to be the favorite.

[kizzikat.livejournal.com]

About a quarter of Europeans have Neanderthal genes in their DNA, so the story may not be as simple as competition. Some Neanderthal groups may have simply been absorbed by the newcomers.

I watched a fascinating programme a few months back that said there were about 4 other species of humans about in parts of the world (that they know of) when homo sapiens emerged from Africa, so modern human origins are possibly not as simple as they are often portrayed.

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

Yes, I've heard the same thing, that quite a few of us are running around with Neanderthal genes in their DNA, though apparently mine has fewer than most, yet more than my brother or niece (I have 277 variants, whatever that means. *g*) Still, even though there was obviously some interbreeding, I don't think that explains how we ended up being the only hominids left. And considering our history, it's not hard for me to imagine that we had something to do with the others' disappearance.