Historically, paleoanthropologists maintained that the rapid displacement of Neanderthals by anatomically modern humans in Upper Paleolithic Europe was primarily driven by the cognitive superiority of the latter. This traditionalist model posits that advanced symbolic thought enabled modern humans to exploit resources more efficiently. More recently, revisionist scholars have challenged this narrative, arguing that archaeological evidence—such as the presence of complex Neanderthal adornments—demonstrates cognitive parity. These revisionists generally conclude that Neanderthals were not outcompeted but rather genetically assimilated into the larger modern human population.
While the revisionists are correct to dismiss the outdated assumption of a Neanderthal cognitive deficit, their conclusion regarding assimilation relies on a fundamental misinterpretation of genetic introgression rates. The genetic evidence, properly understood, suggests only sporadic interbreeding rather than wholesale assimilation. A more plausible explanation for the demographic shift lies in climate-driven migration models. As abrupt climatic oscillations degraded the European ecosystem, modern humans, arriving in larger, more interconnected demographic networks, effectively swamped the sparse Neanderthal populations. Some critics of the climate model, such as anthropologist Richard Klein, insist that a sudden neural mutation in modern humans must account for the displacement, effectively repackaging the traditionalist cognitive-advantage argument. However, Klein’s hypothesis fails to account for the gradual, rather than sudden, nature of technological transitions observed in the archaeological record of the Levant, which preceded the European displacement.
Which one of the following most accurately describes the author's stance toward the arguments advanced by the revisionist scholars?
- AThe author accepts their assertion of cognitive parity but argues that their reliance on archaeological evidence led them to systematically ignore crucial genetic introgression rates.
- BThe author agrees with their dismissal of the traditionalist model but argues that their demographic conclusions are ultimately undermined by the gradual technological transitions observed in the Levant.
- CThe author implies that because the revisionist scholars correctly analyze the archaeological evidence of Neanderthal adornments, they would naturally endorse the climate-driven migration model.
- The author endorses their rejection of a longstanding anthropological assumption but contends that their alternative explanation for Neanderthal displacement is predicated on an erroneous reading of genetic data.Cevap
- EThe author supports their view of cognitive parity, but rejects their conclusion regarding assimilation specifically because abrupt climatic oscillations caused modern humans to swamp Neanderthal populations.