Neanderthals were very hardy creatures, physically they were better able to survive than is Homo sapiens.
The researchers believed that the case in the beginnings of intelligence of Homo sapiens, with which they made weapons and household items. But recent studies have shown that Neanderthals also did the items that were able to hunt together. In addition, these two species interbred, and in the genes of modern man have 4-5% Neanderthal.
Recently, scientists have discovered why extinct by our ancestors. Previous versions of the disease and the onset of the cold snap was a tad off. Now American scientists from the National Institute of health, University of Pennsylvania, believe that Neanderthals were systematically poisoned by the smoke.
Neanderthals cooked their food on fire. But hardly anyone of them knew that during the combustion generates a lot of dangerous toxins. If every day to inhale the smoke from the fire and is burnt to heat food, it can cause irreparable harm. In particular, the toxins in smoke cause cell death, reduce the reproductive capacity of women, adolescents increase the susceptibility to respiratory infections. Also increasing infant mortality.
Interestingly, Homo sapiens lived in the stone age as well, but they for some reason managed to get a mutation that helps to neutralize the toxins of smoke. Scientists studied the genomes of Neanderthals and other human and saw that the body of modern man is resistant to the toxins of smoke. So we can smoke and live a long life, at the risk, however, of cancer.
