Neanderthal Extinction

For John, BLUF:  Maybe the Neanderthals learned what caused pregnancy and decided to stop it, not yet having learned its importance.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Declining fertility led to Neanderthal extinction, new model suggests

From United Press International, by Reporter Brooks Hays, 31 May 2019.

Here is the lede plus one:

May 31 (UPI) -- To better understand the decline of Neanderthals, researchers in France developed a population model and used simulations to determine which demographic factors had the largest effect on Neanderthal numbers.

Their analysis, published this week in the journal PLOS One, showed declining fertility offers the likeliest explanation for the disappearance of the Neanderthals.

The headline is a little too definitive, but the evidence is there for the possibility demise by lack of fertility.

So, is it climate change or declining birth rates that will result in human extinction?  Imagine the collapse of the human population from near ten billion to extinction.  It would be a downward spiral that just feeds on itself.

Lets see how China does with its period of reduced fertility.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff