Late survival of Neanderthals at the southernmost extreme of Europe

The late survival of archaic hominin populations and their long contemporaneity with modern humans is now clear for southeast Asia. In Europe the extinction of the Neanderthals, firmly associated with Mousterian technology, has received much attention, and evidence of their survival after 35 kyr bp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature (London) 2006-10, Vol.443 (7113), p.850-853
Main Authors: FINLAYSON, Clive, PACHECO, Francisco Giles, CARRION, José S, FERNANDEZ JALVO, Yolanda, GLEED-OWEN, Christopher P, ESPEJO, Francisco J. Jimenez, LOPEZ, Pilar, LOPEZ SAEZ, José Antonio, RIQUELME CANTAL, José Antonio, SANCHEZ MARCO, Antonio, GUZMAN, Francisco Giles, BROWN, Kimberly, RODRIGUEZ-VIDAL, Joaquin, FUENTES, Noemi, VALARINO, Claire A, VILLALPANDO, Antonio, STRINGER, Christopher B, RUIZ, Francisca Martinez, SAKAMOTO, Tatsuhiko, FA, Darren A, GUTIERREZ LOPEZ, José Maria, SANTIAGO PEREZ, Antonio, FINLAYSON, Geraldine, ALLUE, Ethel, BAENA PREYSLER, Javier, CACERES, Isabel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
Fossils
Gibraltar
History, Ancient
Hominidae - physiology
Humans
Paleontology
Population Dynamics
Time Factors
Vertebrate paleontology
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Summary:The late survival of archaic hominin populations and their long contemporaneity with modern humans is now clear for southeast Asia. In Europe the extinction of the Neanderthals, firmly associated with Mousterian technology, has received much attention, and evidence of their survival after 35 kyr bp has recently been put in doubt. Here we present data, based on a high-resolution record of human occupation from Gorham's Cave, Gibraltar, that establish the survival of a population of Neanderthals to 28 kyr bp. These Neanderthals survived in the southernmost point of Europe, within a particular physiographic context, and are the last currently recorded anywhere. Our results show that the Neanderthals survived in isolated refuges well after the arrival of modern humans in Europe.
ISSN:0028-0836
1476-4687
DOI:10.1038/nature05222