Final answer:
The statement suggests genocidal competition between Homo sapiens sapiens and Neanderthals, among other factors, contributed to the Neanderthal extinction. Homo sapiens sapiens' superior tools and social structures, combined with their reproductive advantages, allowed them to surpass Neanderthals as they expanded from Africa. Although evidence of outright genocidal actions is scarce, competition for resources was likely a significant factor.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement suggests that genocidal competition between closely related hominid species, such as Homo sapiens sapiens and Neanderthals, may have contributed to the extinction of the latter. When Homo sapiens sapiens began to migrate out of Africa roughly 50,000 years ago, they encountered and competed with Neanderthals for resources. This competition likely involved not just violence but also differences in social and survival strategies, which could have included better tool-making abilities, social organization, and reproductive rates. This helped Homo sapiens sapiens to flourish while Neanderthals eventually disappeared around 40,000 years ago.
Similar to the concept of allopatric speciation, where a geographic barrier like a lake can separate and lead to the speciation of rodent populations, the arrival of Homo sapiens sapiens in new territories could have disrupted the Neanderthal populations, limiting interaction and gene flow, ultimately contributing to their decline. Furthermore, the pressure of having to share or compete for the same land and resources might have been a significant factor in the Neanderthal extinction. Although direct evidence of genocidal actions is difficult to establish, biological and cultural differences alongside competition for resources likely played key roles in hominid interactions and survival outcomes.