I recently watched a BBC documentary entitled Out of Africa, a
five-part series chronicling the migration of Homo sapiens out
of Africa and into Asia, Australia, Europe, and the Americas.
Although all five parts were fascinating, I was particularly
rapt by the arrival of Homo sapiens (modern humans) into Europe
some 40,000 years ago after a 70,000 year trek out of Africa,
only to discover that Neanderthals, a proto-human and distant
cousin had arrived some 100,000 years earlier. Neanderthals were
a heartier, huskier species than Homo Sapiens, had a larger
brain and more advanced technology, and had long since adapted
to harsh European winters. However, 20,000 years or so later,
Neanderthals had died out — completely. To this day, no
Neanderthal genetic markers have been found in modern humans.
How is it possible that a physically more powerful, better
environmentally adapted, and technologically more advanced
proto-human did not survive, while Homo sapiens, the weaker,
less advanced interloper, not only survi