The cave discovered in Central France was sealed away by sediment for 57,000 years, and showed signs of non-human activity. The cave, La Roche-Cotard,, had etchings of animals created by dragging fingers and small tools. However, they weren’t made by humans, who didn’t settle in the area until thousands of years later. There is no way humans got into the cave.
Tools were found in the cave along with the etchings which indicates they were created, not by humans, but by Neanderthals.
It is more evidence that Neanderthals were smarter than originally thought. It is also now believed they later mated with humans, and were able to conceive human-Neanderthal babies.
Not all scientists agree with the findings, and question the dating techniques. Other cave drawings suggest Neanderthals created drawings in caves, but they were much later.
If all this is accurate, it shows creative thought existed long before we thought it did, and they had intelligence similar to ours.
Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens are two different species but all non-African humans carry 1% to 4% of Neanderthal DNA. Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens had a common ancestor.
Neanderthals lived in Eurasia until 40,000 years ago when they became extinct, alongside humans. They showed some sophistication.
The Neanderthals
Their bodies were stockier, muscular, with shorter limbs and larger brains. Humans had more developed prefrontal cortices, associated with problem solving and social behavior.
Archaeological evidence shows they created tools, controlled fire and buried their dead, indicating complex social behaviors and their own technologies.
They had the FoxP2 gene, suggesting they could speak.
The earliest Homo Sapien was found in Morocco over 300,000 years ago. he would have passed for modern man and fit in on any city street. It looks like North Africa was the birthplace of Homo Sapiens.
Several years ago, National Geographic ran a genome project. They found that based on the DNA of a secluded tribe that lived as their ancient ancestors did, everyone tested has the same marker. It’s backup for the view that modern man was born in North Africa.
