Rabbits May Explain What Drove Neanderthals to Extinction 30000 Years Ago

Bunnies may be to blame for the extinction of Neanderthals 30,000 years ago. Researchers have found that rabbits were hunted and eaten by Neanderthals, which may offer vital clues as to why they died out while humans flourished.

In this latest study, the researchers analyzed data on rabbit bone remains found in archaeological excavations of caves in the Iberian Peninsula. They found that while rabbits were a crucial part of the modern humans' diet, they were relatively under-utilized by Neanderthals.

"Rabbits originated in Iberia and they are a very special kind of resource, in that they can be found in large numbers, they are relatively easy to catch and they are predictable," said John Stewart, one of the researchers, in a news release. "This means that they are quite a good food source to target. The fact that the Neanderthals did not appear to do so suggests that this was a resource they did not have access to in the same way as modern humans."

Neanderthals mostly hunted large prey over short distances in woodland settings. However, rapid changes in the environment decreased the amount of animals they were able to hunt. If the Neanderthals were more tied to large mammals, losing them could have driven them to extinction.

In contrast, modern humans hunted across large, open spaces and used twin and traps to help them catch faster, smaller prey, including rabbits. This may mean that they were simply better adapted to this change in surroundings.

"Modern humans had more that they could do-they had more possibilities and were more able to cope with the deterioration of climate than Neanderthals were," said Stewart. "If modern humans thrived when Neanderthals did not, it must mean that modern humans were better at exploiting resources than Neanderthals."

The findings reveal why Neanderthals may have gone extinct while humans managed to thrive. This, in turn, reveals a bit more about the conditions that helped shape our modern world.

The findings are published in the Journal of Human Evolution.

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