Pies: Dogs evolved from an extinct wolf-like creature in Eurasia 40,000 years ago

Evidence: 69 • authority: 72

Evidence: 59 • authority: 72

Cro-Magnons or European early modern humans (EEMH) were the first surviving expansion of early modern humans (Homo sapiens) found in Europe and Siberia, continuously occupying the continent possibly from as early as 56,800 years ago. They interacted and interbred with the indigenous Neanderthals (H. neanderthalensis) of Europe and Western Asia, who went extinct 35,000 to 40,000 years ago. At the time of this admixture, those Neanderthals already possessed about 6% Homo sapiens ancestry, from admixture with an earlier, extinct sapiens population in Eurasia earlier than 240kya. Ancient DNA research indicates that the earliest modern humans in Europe during the Initial Upper Paleolithic (~45–4…

Evidence: 49 • authority: 72

Neanderthals became extinct around 40,000 years ago. Hypotheses on the causes of the extinction include violence, transmission of diseases from modern humans to which Neanderthals had no immunity, competitive replacement, extinction by interbreeding with early modern human populations, natural catastrophes, climate change, and inbreeding depression. It is likely that multiple factors caused the demise of an already low population.

Evidence: 49 • authority: 72

Neanderthals ( nee-AN-də(r)-TAHL, nay-, -⁠THAHL; Homo neanderthalensis or sometimes Homo sapiens neanderthalensis) are an extinct group of archaic humans who inhabited Europe and Western and Central Asia during the Middle to Late Pleistocene. The timeline of Neanderthal extinction is uncertain, but generally considered to be complete in Asia and most of Europe by 40,000 years ago, perhaps because early modern humans came to Europe. Neanderthals seem to have survived longer in some parts of the Iberian Peninsula. The first recognised Neanderthal fossil, Neanderthal 1, was discovered in 1856 in the Neander Valley, Germany. At first, Neanderthal 1 was considered to be one of the lower races in…

Evidence: 49 • authority: 92

Evidence: 41 • authority: 72

The Late Pleistocene to the beginning of the Holocene saw the extinction of the majority of the world's megafauna, typically defined as animal species having body masses of 45 kg (99 lb) or more, which resulted in a collapse in faunal density and diversity across the globe. The extinctions during the Late Pleistocene are differentiated from previous extinctions by their extreme size bias towards large animals (with small animals being largely unaffected), the widespread absence of ecological succession to replace these extinct megafaunal species, and the regime shift of previously established faunal relationships and habitats as a consequence. The timing and severity of the extinctions vari…

Evidence: 31 • authority: 80

Evidence: 31 • authority: 72

Evidence: 31 • authority: 72

Homo sapiens is a distinct species of the hominid family of primates, which includes all the great apes. Over their evolutionary history, humans gradually developed traits such as bipedalism, dexterity, and complex language. Modern humans interbred with archaic humans, indicating that their evolution was not linear but weblike. The study of the origins of humans involves several scientific disciplines, including physical and evolutionary anthropology, paleontology, and genetics; the field is also known by the terms anthropogeny, anthropogenesis, and anthropogony—with the latter two sometimes used to refer to the related subject of hominization. Primates diverged from other mammals about 85…

Evidence: 31 • authority: 72

Evidence: — • authority: 38