models

A latest study utilizing advanced spatial modeling has revealed that neither climate change nor direct competition with early modern humans can fully explain the disappearance of Neanderthals from Europe. The research, which adapted models typically used in conservation biology, suggests that the structure of social networks and regional connectivity played a far more critical role in the survival of Homo sapiens and the eventual extinction of our closest ancient relatives. The study has focused on Europe during Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3), a period spanning roughly 60,000 to 35,000 years ago. This era was characterized by dramatic climate fluctuations, alternating between intense cold stadials and warmer interstadials. It was during this volatile period that the first populations of Homo