Comments on: Free trade may have finished off Neanderthals http://www.gavinsblog.com/2005/04/01/free-trade-may-have-finished-off-neanderthals/ Estd. in Ireland, July 2002 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:57:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Pat Donnelly http://www.gavinsblog.com/2005/04/01/free-trade-may-have-finished-off-neanderthals/#comment-62402 Pat Donnelly Mon, 11 Apr 2005 10:04:04 +0000 http://www.gavinsblog.com/?p=2071#comment-62402 Forgive me for skepticism, but I am not convinced that the classification of Neandertal is so clear cut. The explanation is very good though, as trade would have depended on sophisticated links and swift transport. Horses were domesticated a little later than this, but inaccuracy in this field is endemic as a result of scarcity of information. Unfortunately another point arises: even if Neandertals existed as a sererate species, why would they have been starved out? Weapons manufacture is a big trade these days. Technical superiority means extinction awaits mismatched enemies. The Vikings and Normans proved this, with their steel. How about trade bringing diseases? Rats from China were blamed for the Black Death after all. All is speculation, alas. Forgive me for skepticism, but I am not convinced that the classification of Neandertal is so clear cut. The explanation is very good though, as trade would have depended on sophisticated links and swift transport. Horses were domesticated a little later than this, but inaccuracy in this field is endemic as a result of scarcity of information.
Unfortunately another point arises: even if Neandertals existed as a sererate species, why would they have been starved out? Weapons manufacture is a big trade these days. Technical superiority means extinction awaits mismatched enemies. The Vikings and Normans proved this, with their steel. How about trade bringing diseases? Rats from China were blamed for the Black Death after all.
All is speculation, alas.

]]> By: Peter Nolan http://www.gavinsblog.com/2005/04/01/free-trade-may-have-finished-off-neanderthals/#comment-61662 Peter Nolan Sat, 02 Apr 2005 19:37:05 +0000 http://www.gavinsblog.com/?p=2071#comment-61662 "...sudden demise of the Neanderthals after over 260,000 years of healthy survival." I'd swear some survive in isolated pockets, working in DART stations. “…sudden demise of the Neanderthals after over 260,000 years of healthy survival.”

I’d swear some survive in isolated pockets, working in DART stations.

]]> By: Anthony Sheridan http://www.gavinsblog.com/2005/04/01/free-trade-may-have-finished-off-neanderthals/#comment-61641 Anthony Sheridan Fri, 01 Apr 2005 20:42:48 +0000 http://www.gavinsblog.com/?p=2071#comment-61641 Interesting stuff! Interesting stuff!

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