The rapid spread of Neanderthals across Asia: understanding the factors behind their expansion
Neanderthals’ Migration Routes to Asia Revealed Through Computer Simulations
A recent study utilized computer models to map out potential migration routes taken by Neanderthals to reach Asia. These simulations considered factors such as temperature, land elevation, ancient rivers, and glaciers. By analyzing two distinct time periods characterized by warmer climates, around 125,000 years ago and 60,000 years ago, researchers were able to identify possible pathways that Neanderthals could have followed to reach Siberia in Eurasia.
These routes likely utilized river valleys and led to the Altai Mountains in Siberia, crossing the Ural Mountains and southern Siberia in approximately 2,000 years. Importantly, these pathways align with known Neanderthal archaeological sites and areas inhabited by Denisovans, indicating potential interactions between these ancient human groups.
Despite the limitations of their model, researchers acknowledge that various other factors may have influenced Neanderthal movements, such as available resources, climate shifts, short-term weather patterns, vegetation preferences, and previous occupations. Nevertheless, given the lack of archaeological evidence, computer simulations offer a valuable method for tracing the footprints of prehistoric populations, even if it lacks the romanticism of searching for temporary Viking settlements along Norway’s icy coasts.
