Final answer:
wherein prehistoric humans hunted large game to extinction, is also considered a factor that parallels the decline of other large-bodied vertebrates around the same period as Neanderthals.
The extinction of Neanderthals may have been caused by climate change, competition with modern humans for resources, limited genetic diversity, and possibly interspecies mating with Homo sapiens. There is no single explanation for their disappearance; rather, a combination of these factors seems probable. Human overkill, leading to a reduction of prey species, might also hold parallels to the Neanderthal's decline.
Step-by-step explanation:
Factors Contributing to Neanderthal Extinction
he extinction of Neanderthals, which occurred around 35,000 to 50,000 years ago, is attributed to multiple factors rather than a single primary cause. These Neanderthals coexisted with Homo sapiens for several thousand years, and there are various hypotheses concerning their decline. One significant factor was their inability to adapt to a changing climate and colder temperatures. Additional theories suggest competition for food with H. sapiens, spread of diseases, and aggression from modern humans who possessed more advanced technologies and social structures. The limited genetic diversity and small populations of Neanderthals may also have contributed to their vulnerability to environmental stresses and competition.
Furthermore, there is the possibility that Neanderthals did not completely go extinct but were absorbed into the modern human gene pool, as suggested by the presence of Neanderthal DNA in present-day humans. Lastly, the concept of human overkill,