Neanderthals and Homo sapiens waged war against each other for 100,000 years, study finds

Neanderthals are hominids very close to Homo sapiens, the ancestors of modern humans. Even though Neanderthals did not persist, they still left an important trace of their existence, and recent studies show that they were at war with humans. This could mean that the concept of war is innate in hominids.

A battle that prevented Homo sapiens from leaving the African continent

Neanderthals went extinct about 40,000 years ago, around the same time modern humans began to migrate to the Near East and Europe, and scientists continue to wonder why they went extinct. Despite the lack of information on the subject, the experts still have some guesses. The latest theory on the subject suggests that Homo sapiens and Neanderthals were once at war, and it is possible that it was the defeat of the Neanderthals that led to their demise.

As to what could have been at the origin of this war, scientists have also put forward several theories, including competition for the same resources, such as food and shelter. This war alone, however, does not explain the extinction of this species. It could also be associated with the fact that Neanderthals could not endure the effects of the climate change that occurred during this time. Moreover, this war did not only sign the loss of Neanderthals; it would also explain why humanity took so long to leave Africa.

This new theory was put forward by researcher Nicholas Longrich, senior lecturer in evolutionary biology and paleontology at the University of Bath, UK. Dr Longrich explained in an article published on The Conversation that the Neanderthals had started exploring the world before the Homo sapiens. Cornered by the Neanderthals, the latter remained on the African continent for a long time. A strong growth in its reproduction as well as an improvement in its capacities to fight, however, pushed it out of Africa. The researcher believes that this could have been seen as an encroachment of territory by the Neanderthals, thus causing conflicts between the two species.

A very long war that ended up being won by the ancestors of modern humans

Dr Longrich also explained that this war lasted a very long time. Indeed, the wounds observed on the remains of these two species showed that they were locked up in battles of very long duration. Specifically, this war between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals lasted around 100,000 years. In addition, the two hominids would also have shown excellent aptitudes to fight and to wage war. This would also explain why the battle between the two species lasted so long.

Despite the ingenuity of the Neanderthals, the Homo sapiens eventually gained the upper hand. Researchers have suggested that the main strengths of humanity’s ancestors were their ability to more easily master the concept of language, as well as their ability to form social groups. Previous research has also shown that Homo sapiens have an incredible ability to adapt, especially in the face of the different environments that exist on the planet; thus giving them a consequent advantage compared to other hominids which coexisted at this time.