Germany
North Rhine-Westphalia
Düsseldorf District
Mettmann
Haan
Why was Homo sapiens superior to the Neanderthal?
Germany
North Rhine-Westphalia
Düsseldorf District
Mettmann
Haan
Why was Homo sapiens superior to the Neanderthal?
Hiking Highlight (Segment)
Recommended by 9 out of 12 hikers
Location: Haan, Mettmann, Düsseldorf District, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
4.6
(23)
89
03:18
12.2km
170m
4.3
(7)
27
03:17
12.2km
150m
3.8
(8)
28
05:19
20.0km
210m
In such a densely populated area as the Rhine Basin, no migration can go far away from civilization. Twice we cross residential areas: the Hilden district Kalstert and the east of Hochdahl. What would such settlements look like if instead of us Sapiens people the Neanderthals prevailed? The Israeli historian Yuval Harari is convinced that this is the key to the success of Homo sapiens. We were not stronger, we no longer had brain mass. We were no better adapted to the harsh conditions of glacial Europe. No single Homo sapiens would have had a chance to survive in inhospitable Central Europe. No single Homo sapiens would have had a chance against a Neanderthal. "If anyone laughed at her for her chinless faces, they might have ripped his arms out," write English Neanderthal experts Dimitra Papagianni and Michael Morse in The Neanderthals Rediscovered. A Neanderthal man, whose bones were found in the English Boxgrove, was in his lifetime 1.80 meters tall, weighing 90 kilograms and should have had about the stature of heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson. But the secret of Homo sapiens's success is that he is never alone. He is a master of togetherness, his settlements - like the lifestyle of today's people as a whole - testify to an extraordinary ability for cooperation and division of labor. When building houses and shopping, at work and in the street, we cooperate with strangers. This is unique in the animal kingdom.
April 12, 2017
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Location: Haan, Mettmann, Düsseldorf District, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
4.6
(23)
89
03:18
12.2km
170m
4.3
(7)
27
03:17
12.2km
150m
3.8
(8)
28
05:19
20.0km
210m