With new evidence, climate scientists from the IBS Center for Climate Physics found that Neanderthals’ extinction was not caused by sudden cold climate changes, nor by interference. For Homo sapiens, competition is the most important factor.

Neanderthals lived in continental Eurasia for at least 300,000 years. Then, about 43 to 38,000 years ago, they quickly disappeared from the earth’s surface, leaving only a weak genetic trace in today’s Homo sapiens population.

The extinction of the Neanderthals coincided with periods of rapidly changing climatic conditions, as well as the arrival of Homo sapiens in Europe. However, identifying which of these factors is the main cause of evolutionary researchers’ greatest challenge over the long term.

To quantify which processes played a major role in the demise of Neanderthals, scientists used mathematical models to be able to simulate the reality of Neanderthal and Homo sapiens migration. interaction, competition and interference of two types of people in a changing climate.

In a newly published report, Axel Timmermann, director of the IBS Center for Climate Physics at Pusan National University, presented the first realistic computer simulation of the Neanderthal extinction across the country. Eurasian continent. The model consists of thousands of lines of computer code and is run on IBS supercomputer Aleph, solving a series of mathematical equations that describe how Neanderthals and Homo sapiens move in an icy landscape that changes over time. under changing temperatures, precipitation and vegetation patterns.

In the simulation model both groups of hominins (human tones) compete for the same food source and a small portion is allowed to alternate. The main parameters of the model are taken from simulation of actual climate computer model, genetic data and demographics.

"This is the first time we have been able to quantify Neanderthat extinction drivers. In a computer model, I can turn on and off various processes, such as climate change. sudden, interference or competition, "said Axel Timmermann.

By comparing the results with current anthropological, genetic, and archeological data, Timmermann proved that the actual extinction in computer modeling is only possible if Homo sapiens have a significant advantage over humans. Neanderthals about the exploitation of existing food resources. Although the model does not specify details, possible reasons for the superiority of Homo sapiens are related to better hunting techniques, stronger resistance to pathogens or higher levels of favorability.

Exactly what caused the rapid collapse of Neanderthals remains elusive for a long time. This new method of simulating computer models identified competitive exclusion as a likely reason for the disappearance of Neanderthals.

"The Neanderthals lived on the Eurasian continent for the past 300,000 years and experienced and adapted to sudden climate change, which is even more dramatic than what happened during the Neanderthals’ disappearance. it was no coincidence that Neanderthals disappeared at the time, and new computer model simulations made it clear that this event was the first major extinction caused by our species. new field of study in which climate scientists can interact with mathematicians, geneticists, archaeologists and anthropologists, "said Timmermann.

The team at the IBS Center for Climate Physics is currently improving the computer model to be able to study large groups of animals and perform more realistic climate processes.