Who Sheds a Tear for the Neanderthals? By Brian Simpson

     As one contemplates personal death, one likes, I suppose, to reflect back on achievements, to tell oneself that it was all worthwhile and a job well done. Likewise for civilisations, when they die.

     The Neanderthals were a form of the hominin linage who are now extinct. Bigger, more muscular and maybe even smarter than primitive Homo sapiens, they nevertheless became extinct about 40,000 years ago.  DNA analysis shows that Neanderthals interbred with the ancestors of modern humans, or what I think is more realistic, modern humans interbred with Neanderthals.

     A recent paper has traced Neanderthal-derived genetic variations in the cranial and brain morphology in a sample of Europeans: M. D. Gregory (et al.), “Neanderthal-Derived Genetic Variation shapes Modern Human Cranium and Brain,” Scientific Reports, July 24, 2017;doi:10.1038/s41598-017-06587-0.

     The multicult trend in everything, including modern biology and palaeontology, has it that ancient humans and Neanderthals lived in perfect multicult harmony, and happily interbred, in anticipation of capitalism down the road. This is laughably unlikely. Without the media brainwashing, both groups would have been highly tribal, as we observe in healthy humans untainted by integrationist ideologies. Warfare would have occurred, as in fact happened in all human societies. With no constraints of civilisation, and propaganda to hold things back, it would have been a battle to the finish.

     It is possible that the large muscles of the Neanderthal men may have made spear throwing more difficult than for the stick-like humans. Rather than meet superiors with clubs at close range, our ancestors would have rained masses of spears upon Neanderthal males, killing them all, and taking the women for sex and slavery, or just work, because everything then was a struggle for survival.

     Just as the Neanderthals perished, so could we. It happened once and only an intense human effort will prevent it happening once more. Perhaps this racial memory of intra-species conflict lies behind The Planet of the Apes movies.