Humans’ Sheer Numbers Enabled Europe Dominance 40,000 Years Ago
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Humans may not have been more aggressive than the Neanderthals they replaced in Europe 40,000 years ago. They were more prolific, growing their population ten times faster, a study suggests.
Better tools, food storage techniques and, importantly, stronger social bonding helped humans multiply at a faster rate, helping to drive the Neanderthals into extinction over a 15,000-year period, according to a study in the journal Science.