冷却、干燥的气候可能是导致尼安德特人消失的原因

Cooling, Drying Climate May Have Led to Neanderthal Disappearance¹

A new study suggests that ancient periods of cold and dry climate helped our species² take the place of Neanderthals in Europe.

Researchers found that such cold periods happened at the same time Neanderthals seemed to disappear in different parts of the continent. Their disappearance was followed by the appearance of our species: Homo sapiens.

Neanderthals are a species of early humans that once lived in Europe and Asia. The species died out about 40,000 years ago. Homo sapiens arrived in Europe a few thousand years later.

Scientists have long debated what happened. Some have blamed the change in climate. Others have proposed explanations including the sudden spread of diseases and the idea that newcomers competed with the Neanderthals for resources.

Michael Staubwasser is a scientist with the University of Cologne in Germany. He and his research team reported their findings in late August in the Proceedings³ of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers examined existing climate, archaeological and ecological⁴ data and added new measurements of ancient climate. Those measurements came from two caves in Romania.

Their study centered around two cold and dry periods. One began about 44,000 years ago and lasted about 1,000 years. The other began about 40,800 years ago and lasted about 600 years. The timing⁵ of those events matches the periods in which objects made by Neanderthals disappear.

“Whether they moved or died out, we can’t tell,” Staubwasser told the Associated Press.

During the two events, signs of Homo sapiens appear in sites within the Danube River Valley in central and Eastern Europe and in France, the team noted⁶.

The changes in climate would have turned forests into grassland⁷ filled with small plants. Homo sapiens may have been better adapted to that new environment than the Neanderthals were. So they may been able to move in after Neanderthals disappeared, the researchers wrote.

Katerina Harvati is a Neanderthal expert at the University of Tuebingen in Germany. She was not involved in the study. She said it is helpful to have the new climate data from southeastern Europe. That is an area that many researchers think Homo sapiens used to spread through the continent.

But Harvati said it is unclear whether Neanderthals disappeared and Homo sapiens appeared at the times the researchers claim. She said that is because the studies they base their findings on depend on limited evidence and are sometimes disputed.

Chris Stringer is with the Natural History Museum in London. He said he thought the paper made a good case for the effect changes in climate had on Neanderthals. Yet he believes other things also led to their disappearance.

Rick Potts of the Smithsonian Institution called the study “a refreshing⁸ new look” at how one species took the other’s place.

“As has been said before, our species didn’t outsmart the Neanderthals,” Potts wrote. “We simply out-survived them.”

I’m Pete Musto.

Words in This Story

species – n. a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants

archaeological – adj. related to the science that deals with past human life and activities by studying the bones and tools of ancient people

ecological – adj. related to the science that deals with the relationships between groups of living things and their environments

cave(s) – n. a large hole that was formed by natural processes in the side of a cliff or hill or under the ground

adapt(ed) – v. to change your behavior so that it is easier to live in a particular place or situation

refreshing – adj. pleasantly new, different, or interesting

outsmart – v. to defeat or trick someone by being more intelligent or clever

out-survive(d) – v. to remain alive or in existence for longer or more effectively than others

1 disappearance   

n.消失，消散，失踪

参考例句：

• He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
• Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。

2 species   

n.物种，种群

参考例句：

• Are we the only thinking species in the whole of creation?我们是万物中惟一有思想的物种吗？
• This species of bird now exists only in Africa.这种鸟现在只存在于非洲。

3 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

4 ecological   

adj.生态的，生态学的

参考例句：

• The region has been declared an ecological disaster zone.这个地区已经宣布为生态灾难区。
• Each animal has its ecological niche.每种动物都有自己的生态位.

5 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 grassland   

n.牧场，草地，草原

参考例句：

• There is a reach of grassland in the distance.远处是连绵一片的草原。
• The snowstorm swept the vast expanse of grassland.暴风雪袭击了辽阔的草原。

8 refreshing   

adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的

参考例句：

• I find it'so refreshing to work with young people in this department.我发现和这一部门的青年一起工作令人精神振奋。
• The water was cold and wonderfully refreshing.水很涼，特别解乏提神。