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Full Description
Since the late 1980s the dominant theory of human origins has been that a 'cognitive revolution' (C.50,000 years ago) led to the advent of our species, Homo sapiens. As a result of this revolution our species spread and eventually replaced all existing archaic Homo species, ultimately leading to the superiority of modern humans.
Or so we thought.
As Clive Finlayson explains, the latest advances in genetics prove that there was significant interbreeding between Modern Humans and the Neanderthals. All non-Africans today carry some Neanderthal genes. We have also discovered aspects of Neanderthal behaviour that indicate that they were not cognitively inferior to modern humans, as we once thought, and in fact had their own rituals and art. Finlayson, who is at the forefront of this research, recounts the discoveries of his team, providing evidence that Neanderthals caught birds of prey, and used their feathers for symbolic purposes. There is also evidence that Neanderthals practised other forms of art, as the recently discovered engravings in Gorham's Cave Gibraltar indicate.
Linking all the recent evidence, The Smart Neanderthal casts a new light on the Neanderthals and the "Cognitive Revolution". Finlayson argues that there was no revolution and, instead, modern behaviour arose gradually and independently among different populations of Modern Humans and Neanderthals. Some practices were even adopted by Modern Humans from the Neanderthals. Finlayson overturns classic narratives of human origins, and raises important questions about who we really are.
Contents
Preface 1: Nana and flint 2: Neanderthals and birds 3: Lessons from the Arctic 4: The long-tailed duck 5: The white ghost 6: Gibraltar 7: The dynamic world of dunes 8: Lakes and plains 9: The great auk 10: Big eyes 11: Digging in the cave 12: Neanderthal real estate 13: Of seals and limpets 14: Birds of a feather 15: The golden eagle 16: Ambushing the scavengers 17: The big six 18: How to skin a vulture 19: Pigeons and choughs 20: Feeding the vultures 21: The hashtag and the end of the long road to Neanderthal emancipation Appendix 1 Bird Names used in the Text Appendix 2 Mammal Names used in the Text Endnotes Further reading Index
