Final answer:
The Neanderthal Mousterian tool industry focused on flake tools, while modern humans in the Upper Paleolithic period developed the blade tool industry, with longer cutting edges and a diverse set of materials, potentially contributing to the Neanderthal decline.
Step-by-step explanation:
Neanderthals vs. Modern Human Stone Tool Technology
The Mousterian tool industry, associated with Neanderthals, signified an advancement from the Acheulean tools. Neanderthals predominantly manufactured flake tools, which entailed striking flakes from cores, resulting in smaller and sharper tools. These flake tools, found in archaeological sites from the Neanderthal period, were advantageous for tasks such as butchering animals and creating spearheads.
During the Upper Paleolithic period, anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens) innovated their tool-making practices by introducing the blade tool industry. Blades were long, thin, flat, with longer cutting edges, making them more efficient than their flake counterparts. The adoption of new materials such as antler, ivory, and bone further diversified the tool kit of Homo sapiens. The advancement in tool-making technology by modern humans is considered one factor contributing to the replacement of Neanderthals in Europe, alongside other factors such as competition for resources and demographic advantages.