Shocking 'New' Theory ~ Humans hunted, ate Neanderthals

[circumspice]

http://science.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/0 ... anderthals

Not so new & certainly not shocking.

Besides, the only real evidence of cannibalism is Neanderthal on Neanderthal & Homo Sapien on Homo Sapien.

[uniface]

There may be more "to it" than the article I read covered.

If not though, pretty thin soup, IMO.

[E.P. Grondine]

Both of you do understand that the theory of extinction by human predation is used to link "Clovis First" with that extinction of the mega-fauna which in reality occured due to comet impact?

And that once you throw that theory out (i.l. demonstrate human causuality to be wrong),
the "Clovis First" proponents actually have to deal with the Pre-Clovis data?

[kbs2244]

And that the abhorrence of eating “humans” is a relatively new thing.
And very dependent on culture.
Even in historical times South Pacific natives did it. As did North American natives.

This looks like classic headline grabbing to me.
The journalism student with a headline writing assignment should get a B for it’s being published.

[Minimalist]

Both of you do understand that the theory of extinction by human predation is used to link "Clovis First" with that extinction of the mega-fauna which in reality occured due to comet impact?

And that once you throw that theory out (i.l. demonstrate human causuality to be wrong),
the "Clovis First" proponents actually have to deal with the Pre-Clovis data?

I suspect the diehards will simply continue to deny that such data exists.

Curious about the human predation line of thought is that humans and mammoth co-existed in Siberia until c 8,000 BC without humans "driving them to extinction" for some 4,000 years after the North American variants were wiped out. One could argue that 4,000 years is a long time.

[Cognito]

Curious about the human predation line of thought is that humans and mammoth co-existed in Siberia until c 8,000 BC without humans "driving them to extinction" for some 4,000 years after the North American variants were wiped out. One could argue that 4,000 years is a long time.

A curious fact is that indiginous mammoths in Siberia died out about 40,000 years ago to be replaced by mammoths from North America. See: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/26545527/ns/t ... -american/

The idea that Clovis peoples did them in through over-hunting makes no sense whatsoever. Further, genetics says that the replacement herds dispersed from East to West ... go figure.

[uniface]

A further intriguing idea from a friend (Benjamin Eble, the flintknapping expert) : Old World camels appear to trace back to animals from North America that crossed the Siberian Land Bridge after the ice-free corridor opened.

This having (by current indications) been the case, their (hypothetical but entirely plausible) domestication here would have an important bearing on the long-distance mobility of Paleo people(s) here -- especially on their long-distance transportation of high quality toolstones.

Quite a picture-changer !