General
The War for the Planet Between Humans and Neanderthals Lasted 100,000 Years
Neanderthals and humans were engaged in brutal guerrilla-style warfare across the globe for over 100,000 years, evidence shows.
It is known that Neanderthals and modern humans descended from the same evolutionary branch. Our genome is 99.7% similar.
About 600 thousand years ago, our ancestors split into two parts. Those who later became known as Homo neanderthalensis set out to explore Eurasia. Homo sapiens remained in Africa for several hundred millennia.
However, then the sapiens, following their cousins, also went to another continent. Now archaeologists and anthropologists are investigating how these two species coexisted in the same territories, reports sciencealert.com.
Both Neanderthals and sapiens were skilled hunters, good fighters, and good organization skills. However, due to the structural features of the body, the ancestors of modern people were more prolific.
This was one of the reasons why they made an exodus from Africa – in search of resources for food.
However, by this time Neanderthals had occupied the richest territories of Eurasia, and this led to a long period of rivalry between the two species.
The out-of-Africa offensive. (Nicholas R. Longrich)
At the same time, due to the similarity between the genomes of humans and Neanderthals, scientists concluded that our relatives had the same instincts to protect and protect their territories as we do.
Nicolas Longrich, senior lecturer in evolutionary biology and paleontology at the University of Bath, believes that the struggle for dominance in Eurasia has gone on for more than 100,000 years.
“The best evidence that the Neanderthals not only fought but also succeeded in war is that they were not immediately defeated. Instead, for about 100,000 years, Neanderthals resisted the expansion of modern humans,” says the scientist.
He also notes that, based on everything that researchers know about the habits of modern people, one could hardly expect that, having met rivals in vast territories rich in prey, people would allow them to stay nearby.
One of the reasons why the sapiens sought to exterminate the Neanderthals could be a demographic factor.
“Population growth inevitably forces people to seize more land in order to provide enough territory for hunting and foraging for their offspring,” the paleontologist added.
However, the fact that the struggle lasted so long proves that the Neanderthals were no less dexterous, skillful and courageous warriors than our species. In armament, tactics, strategy, people and Neanderthals were approximately equal.
However, at some point there came a turning point in this war. What caused this is not known for certain. One of the likely factors, scientists believe the invention of long-range weapons.
“Perhaps the invention of ranged weapons – bows, spear throwers, throwing clubs allowed the more graceful Homo sapiens to defeat stocky Neanderthals from afar. Using hit and run tactics,” Nicholas Longrich reflects.
Another reason could be the ingenuity of sapiens, which allowed them to get more prey with less effort. And, therefore, it is better to feed your men, who have more strength for long fights.
In addition, more plentiful and satisfying food increased the survival rate of children, and, therefore, gave numerical superiority to sapiens.
The scientist also emphasizes that if the Neanderthals were pacifists, as some researchers tend to believe, the war would have ended much faster.
Probably, sapiens at some point were able to become more skilled warriors than their relatives. This was the reason that modern people conquered the planet.
General
Mysterious giant “Bigfoot” prints found along Devon coast path
If you are a fan of cryptozoology, you might be familiar with the
legend of Bigfoot, the hairy humanoid that is said to inhabit the
forests of North America. But did you know that there have been
sightings and reports of similar creatures in other parts of the world,
including the UK?
One such case happened earlier this month, when a
group of hikers stumbled upon a mysterious footprint along the
Maidencombe coastal path in Devon, England. The print was so large and
clear that it looked like it had been made by a giant bare foot.
Mysterious ‘Bigfoot’ prints found along Devon coast path
The group said they were all ‘weirded out’.
‘I’m a size 11 and they were half as big again.’https://t.co/GUnFCjAWiehttps://t.co/GUnFCjAWie
— Devon Live News (@DevonLiveNews) March 2, 2024
The group followed the trail for about 20 meters and discovered that it came from the nearby Watcombe woods.
One
of the hikers, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “The prints were
big. I’m a size 11 and they were half as big again. Clearly a bare foot,
every print was perfect like the one in the photo. We were weirded out
by it. It was not something we expected to see on a Sunday walk.”
The
footprint measured about 40 cm long and 20 cm wide, and had five toes.
It resembled the many alleged Bigfoot prints that have been found in
North America over the years, which have fueled the speculation that
there is a hidden population of ape-like beings living in the
wilderness.
Some researchers have suggested that Bigfoot could be a
relic of an ancient hominid species that survived the Ice Age and
adapted to different environments.
Others
have proposed that Bigfoot could be an interdimensional being that can
travel between worlds and manifest in physical form. Still others have
argued that Bigfoot could be a paranormal phenomenon that is linked to
UFOs, ghosts, or other supernatural forces.
Of course, there are
also more mundane explanations for the footprint. It could have been a
hoax made by someone with a large wooden or rubber foot.
General
CNN Anchor Claims Dangerous Filthy Slums in America Are ‘Vibrant Expressions of Democracy’
CNN host Fareed Zakaria aired an astonishing rant this past
weekend arguing that major US cities are filthy and dangerous because of
“democracy,” and that makes them more “vibrant.”
Zakaria was attempting to provide a counter argument to Tucker
Carlson’s recent report that Russia’s subways are nicer than America’s.
Modernity.news reports: “American cities are expressions of democracy,” Zakaria asserted, claiming they are “places where people have to negotiate differences and find ways to live together, that makes them messier and dirtier and sometimes chaotic.”
He then argued “perhaps that is what has made these cities so vibrant and innovative, and why they have been at the forefront in making America the country that leads the world in economics, technology, culture and power.”
Is rampant crime, homelessness, and drug use part of said vibrancy?
Fact check. American cities were not shit holes when the country emerged as the envy of the world.
Zakaria continued, “Carlson speaks enviously of cities like Tokyo, Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and they are indeed wonderful in their own distinctive ways. But what’s striking about all of them is that they are somewhat tame and subdued. The product of authoritarian governments or conformist culture, or both. American cities are different.”
He appears to be seriously claiming that you cannot have a clean and safe city without some kind of evil dictatorship overseeing it.
Zakaria continued “Carlson put forward a bizarre hodgepodge of assertions he thought the architecture, food and service in Moscow was better than in any American city. Really? Moscow?”
“Outside of a small historic center, it is filled with drab Soviet era concrete buildings. And while the food in Moscow can be quite good…Better than New York or San Francisco? You need to get out more” Zakaria concluded.
Has he been to San Francisco lately?
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