According to scientists, modern humans overtook Europe following several unsuccessful settlement attempts. But, many remain unsure about the reasons for their success.
The discovery was made by a group of scientists while investigating the extinctions of Home sapiens in Africa many thousands of year ago.
Recently, remains of our ancestors from 40,000 to 50,000 year ago were found in Bulgaria and Romania.
These bones were analysed and revealed genetic profiles not compatible with those of Europeans.
London Natural History Museum Professor Chris Stringer told The Guardian that these early settlements were created by groups early modern humans, who failed to transmit their genes.
“They are our species’s lost lineages.”
“The important point is that Neanderthals continued to occupy Europe for several thousand more years until Homo Sapiens took over. This was the crucial point.
Reconstruction of an early (between 37,000 and 42,000 years old) European Homo sapiens based on bones found in the cave PeÅ¿tera cu Oase (Romania). Exhibited in Mettmann’s Neanderthal Museum.
While studying the history of Home sapiens, an African ancestor that disappeared tens or thousands of year ago, a group of researchers found modern humans tried unsuccessfully to establish themselves in Europe.
A partial skull and skeleton of a woman were found in the Zlatý Kůň cave in Czech Republic.
Initial thought was that these remains could be around 15,000 years of age. However, international researchers have reexamined the material and found they are approximately 45,000 years older.
The discovery of this woman meant she was an older member of Homo sapiens, found in Europe. However, her genetic continuity did not match that of modern Europeans.
Cosimo Posth, of the Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Tübingen University, Germany – said: ‘This woman did not contribute genetically to present-day Europeans.’
Humans today first became aware of their existence in Africa approximately 200,000 years ago and Asia around 60,000 years ago.
Before all hominin species were extinct, they began to spread around the globe.
The Neanderthals were extinct in Europe around 39,000 years ago.
However, recent research has shown that Homo Sapiens’ early efforts to settle in Europe did not succeed.
As well as the skull and skeleton found in the Czech Republic, early human remains have also been found in Peștera cu Oase in Romania and Bacho Kiro cave in Bulgaria.
A partial skull and skeleton of a woman were found in the Zlatý Kůň cave in Czech Republic, and early human remains have also been found in Peștera cu Oase in Romania and Bacho Kiro cave in Bulgaria
They were all found not to have contributed genetically to Europeans today.
Researchers studying why humans have succeeded in expanding into Europe later than others, point to the possibility of environmental factors.
Some scientists have noted that the Laschamps event (the reversal in the earth’s magnetic poles) has caused ‘cosmic radiation levels across the globe’ for many centuries.
Researchers have suggested that the North Atlantic cooling and an Italian volcanic eruption could also be responsible, although some scientists have doubted whether these were sufficient to cause extinction.
Stringer is in agreement with the idea that Homo Sapiens was better at exploiting nature and hunting more efficiently.
His words were that minor adjustments in human behaviour can have made a difference, making it possible to make a significant impact on the success of the project and also improving the lives for women and men.
He said: “The behavior of Homo sapiens played a major role in our success, I believe.”
“Maybe we were more networked or gained more knowledge and learned to extract more resources.
“Any little advantage would be critical.
“You only have to improve the survival rate of your children by 1%, which is huge in a stone age world.”
Research by scientists looking into why modern human attempts to reach Europe in the future were so successful has pointed out that environmental factors could be a factor.
As another factor in Europe’s eventual success, interbreeding among Homo Sapiens (and Neanderthals) has been cited.
According to scientists, today, the genomes of non-African people are only 2% Neanderthal. But, that percentage would have been much higher if it were 40,000 years ago.
Stringer explained that as Homo sapiens increased in numbers and spread across Europe, it’s possible that some species, including the Neanderthals were ‘absorbed’ by us.
The study found that prime-age Neanderthals entering modern humans’ breeding pools voluntarily would not be a contributing factor to the species’ survival.
“The Neanderthals would be extinct in a simple way.”