• Neanderthals disappeared from the fossil record approximately 40,000 years ago. • Their extinction was a gradual process over thousands of years, and theories as to why include competition with modern humans and rapid climate change. • However, there may have been other contributory factors: preeclampsia and eclampsia.
Article Summaries:
- New research suggests that pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia and eclampsia may have contributed to the gradual disappearance of Neanderthals around 40,000 years ago. While the decline is usually attributed to competition with modern humans and rapid climate change, the study proposes that high rates of maternal mortality could have weakened Neanderthal populations. The hypothesis is based on comparative analyses of modern human pregnancy disorders and the fossil record’s demographic patterns. If confirmed, it would add a biological factor to the complex array of causes behind Neanderthal extinction.
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