Until now, the disappearance of Homo neanderthalensis in Europe had been dated around 40,000 years ago. However, a new study carried out by the UDI of Prehistory, Archeology and Ancient History of the University of La Laguna (Spain) dates its disappearance in the Iberian Peninsula before that date: around 45,000 years . The research has been published in the Journal of Human Evolution .
This new work casts doubt on the presence of Neanderthals in the Iberian Peninsula beyond 43,000 years , offering data that specifically refers to the last occupations at El Salt, a site with “a very safe archaeological context in terms of reliability of the remains . These new dates indicate a possible disappearance of the regional populations of the Neanderthal population about 45,000 years ago ”, Bertila Galván, lead author of the study, explains to Sinc.
The large number of records of lithic objects and fauna remains such as deer, goats or horses found in the El Salt site , have allowed to date the disappearance of the Neanderthals as a result of a gradual and unstoppable climate change (which would last for several millennia) which led to environmental conditions too cold and arid for their survival.
The new dating was supported by the discovery of six teeth that could have belonged to a young adult of Homo neanderthalensis and that “could represent an individual from one of the last groups of Neanderthals that occupied the site and possibly the region,” they say. the scientists.
