Summary:
- The article discusses new research that sheds light on the long-standing debate about what led to the extinction of the Neanderthals, our closest evolutionary cousins.
- The study suggests that Neanderthals were not outcompeted or driven to extinction by modern humans, but rather that a combination of factors, including climate change and declining population size, contributed to their demise.
- The findings challenge the prevalent "replacement" theory, which posits that Neanderthals were simply outcompeted and replaced by more technologically advanced modern humans.