The Time of the Neanderthals
Our understanding of human evolution continues to change, and that includes the role played by extinct human species. One species of early hominid, Homo Erectus, appears to be a shared ancestor for both modern humans and Neanderthals. Between 800,000 and 400,000 years ago, groups of Homo Erectus diverged. One moved out of Africa and into Europe, eventually becoming first Homo Heidelbergensis, and later Homo Neanderthalensis.
These populations show the first signs of evolving into Neanderthals between 600,000 and 350,000 years ago, significantly before modern humans evolved in Africa. The evolution of modern humans dates to around 200,000 years ago. The fossil record is far from complete, and there is a lack of specimens dated to 300,000 to 243,000 years ago. Fossils dating after 243,000 years ago from Eurasia are typically identified as Neanderthal. The majority of specimens date to less than 130,000 years ago. In total, it is unlikely that the Neanderthal population ever exceeded 70,000 individuals.
Traditionally, Neanderthals are believed to have died out around 40,000 years ago; however, new research and dating suggests that small populations may have survived more than 10,000 years longer than originally thought. Anatomically modern humans appeared in Europe, beginning in the Mediterranean regions, between 45,000 and 40,000 years ago. The two groups, therefore, overlapped for at least several thousand years.
There is likely a relationship between the arrival of modern humans and the extinction of the Neanderthals; however, the specifics of that relationship are not known. It is possible that modern humans brought new illnesses and disease with them, weakening Neanderthal populations. Modern humans had more technologically advanced weapons than Neanderthals, including throwing spears, and could have simply driven Neanderthals from their former territory. Changing climate may have also contributed to the extinction.