WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.470 [Music] 00:00:06.480 --> 00:00:09.230 imagine a world on the brink a frozen 00:00:09.240 --> 00:00:12.190 ice age Wasteland where survival isn't 00:00:12.200 --> 00:00:15.350 just hard it's nearly impossible two 00:00:15.360 --> 00:00:17.950 human species neanderthals and Homo 00:00:17.960 --> 00:00:21.230 sapiens were locked in a primal struggle 00:00:21.240 --> 00:00:23.470 fighting not just for survival but for 00:00:23.480 --> 00:00:25.950 the future of humanity itself 00:00:25.960 --> 00:00:29.109 neanderthals had the upper hand stronger 00:00:29.119 --> 00:00:32.310 tougher and Built For This brutal World 00:00:32.320 --> 00:00:35.869 in every direct Clash they crushed us 00:00:35.879 --> 00:00:38.229 but here's the riddle if they were so 00:00:38.239 --> 00:00:41.310 Unstoppable why are we here and they're 00:00:41.320 --> 00:00:44.190 not this isn't a story of Triumph 00:00:44.200 --> 00:00:46.990 through cleverness or Courage the truth 00:00:47.000 --> 00:00:50.110 is darker stranger and far more 00:00:50.120 --> 00:00:52.750 complicated our Victory didn't come from 00:00:52.760 --> 00:00:55.910 battles it came from forces no one could 00:00:55.920 --> 00:00:59.029 predict forces that reshaped the world 00:00:59.039 --> 00:01:01.670 turn nature self into a weapon and 00:01:01.680 --> 00:01:04.109 forever change the destiny of our 00:01:04.119 --> 00:01:07.230 species if you missed part one check the 00:01:07.240 --> 00:01:09.870 link in the comments below it's your 00:01:09.880 --> 00:01:12.749 front row seat to the Epic rivalry that 00:01:12.759 --> 00:01:15.030 brought Homo sapiens to the edge of 00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:18.030 Extinction and it'll blow your mind how 00:01:18.040 --> 00:01:21.429 close we came to losing everything now 00:01:21.439 --> 00:01:24.149 in part two we'll unravel the mystery of 00:01:24.159 --> 00:01:25.910 what really happened to the 00:01:25.920 --> 00:01:28.990 Neanderthals was it a natural disaster 00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:30.670 an invisible enemy 00:01:30.680 --> 00:01:32.510 or something even more 00:01:32.520 --> 00:01:36.550 profound Clues buried in Bones Ash an 00:01:36.560 --> 00:01:38.789 ancient DNA tell a story that will make 00:01:38.799 --> 00:01:40.389 you question everything you thought you 00:01:40.399 --> 00:01:44.550 knew about our Origins so buckle up this 00:01:44.560 --> 00:01:46.270 journey will challenge your perspective 00:01:46.280 --> 00:01:48.429 and leave you wondering were we 00:01:48.439 --> 00:01:51.109 survivors or just the luckiest species 00:01:51.119 --> 00:01:53.990 alive the answers may change everything 00:01:54.000 --> 00:02:03.780 you know let's find out why 00:02:03.790 --> 00:02:16.150 [Music] 00:02:16.160 --> 00:02:19.309 around 40,000 years ago the Neanderthals 00:02:19.319 --> 00:02:21.750 iron grip on Ice AG Europe started to 00:02:21.760 --> 00:02:24.430 slip their dominance which had seemed 00:02:24.440 --> 00:02:26.949 unshakable for thousands of years began 00:02:26.959 --> 00:02:29.270 to crack not because of some dramatic 00:02:29.280 --> 00:02:32.110 Showdown with Homo sapiens but because 00:02:32.120 --> 00:02:34.710 the world itself turned against them 00:02:34.720 --> 00:02:38.750 enter the compa in Nim eruption a 00:02:38.760 --> 00:02:41.070 volcanic catastrophe in what is now 00:02:41.080 --> 00:02:43.430 Italy this wasn't just a regular 00:02:43.440 --> 00:02:46.350 eruption it was nature hitting the reset 00:02:46.360 --> 00:02:49.949 button picture ash clouds rolling across 00:02:49.959 --> 00:02:53.350 Europe choking the skies dimming the Sun 00:02:53.360 --> 00:02:55.910 and turning the already frigid Ice Age 00:02:55.920 --> 00:02:57.630 into a full-blown 00:02:57.640 --> 00:03:00.670 freezer for Neanderthals this was a 00:03:00.680 --> 00:03:03.830 death sentence they were Specialists big 00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:06.550 game Hunters through and through their 00:03:06.560 --> 00:03:09.030 survival revolved around mammoths woolly 00:03:09.040 --> 00:03:12.509 rhinos and bison but when the volcanic 00:03:12.519 --> 00:03:14.949 winter devastated the environment their 00:03:14.959 --> 00:03:18.149 prey began to vanish their once abundant 00:03:18.159 --> 00:03:20.149 hunting grounds turned into desolate 00:03:20.159 --> 00:03:22.750 wastelands and the Neanderthals had no 00:03:22.760 --> 00:03:26.589 backup plan meanwhile Homo sapiens were 00:03:26.599 --> 00:03:28.550 busy proving that if there's one thing 00:03:28.560 --> 00:03:31.149 we're good at it's winging it when 00:03:31.159 --> 00:03:33.550 mammoths became scarce we didn't sit 00:03:33.560 --> 00:03:37.190 around sulking we pivoted fast small 00:03:37.200 --> 00:03:40.550 animals fish plants insects if it moved 00:03:40.560 --> 00:03:44.149 or grew it became dinner this ability to 00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:46.869 adapt wasn't just an evolutionary Quirk 00:03:46.879 --> 00:03:49.110 it was the difference between survival 00:03:49.120 --> 00:03:52.030 and Extinction where Neanderthal saw 00:03:52.040 --> 00:03:55.470 Barren Landscapes Homo sapiens saw 00:03:55.480 --> 00:03:57.910 opportunities but as if a volcanic 00:03:57.920 --> 00:04:00.069 apocalypse wasn't bad enough the 00:04:00.079 --> 00:04:02.670 Neanderthals had another problem one 00:04:02.680 --> 00:04:05.429 they didn't even know they had when Homo 00:04:05.439 --> 00:04:07.309 sapiens and Neanderthals began inter 00:04:07.319 --> 00:04:10.589 breeding and yes there was a lot of that 00:04:10.599 --> 00:04:13.190 it wasn't just DNA that got swapped 00:04:13.200 --> 00:04:15.949 diseases pathogens and all sorts of 00:04:15.959 --> 00:04:18.909 nasty bugs came along with the ride it 00:04:18.919 --> 00:04:20.789 was the prehistoric equivalent of the 00:04:20.799 --> 00:04:23.590 Colombian Exchange except the small pox 00:04:23.600 --> 00:04:26.670 blankets were genetic here's the kicker 00:04:26.680 --> 00:04:29.469 Homo sapiens had evolved in Africa a hot 00:04:29.479 --> 00:04:31.950 bed of disease and Immunity building 00:04:31.960 --> 00:04:34.029 neanderthals meanwhile had spent 00:04:34.039 --> 00:04:35.830 hundreds of thousands of years chilling 00:04:35.840 --> 00:04:38.670 in Ice Age Europe relatively isolated 00:04:38.680 --> 00:04:41.830 and unexposed to those pathogens so when 00:04:41.840 --> 00:04:43.950 we showed up with our immune systems 00:04:43.960 --> 00:04:45.790 hardened by Millennia of microbial 00:04:45.800 --> 00:04:48.670 Warfare neanderthals didn't stand a 00:04:48.680 --> 00:04:52.310 chance think tuberculosis herpes and 00:04:52.320 --> 00:04:54.510 other delightful infections spreading 00:04:54.520 --> 00:04:57.550 like wildfire through their communities 00:04:57.560 --> 00:04:59.270 these weren't fights they could win with 00:04:59.280 --> 00:05:01.950 Brute strength this was a battle on a 00:05:01.960 --> 00:05:04.390 microscopic level and the Neanderthals 00:05:04.400 --> 00:05:07.310 were completely outmatched so we move in 00:05:07.320 --> 00:05:09.550 cozy up a little too close leave them 00:05:09.560 --> 00:05:11.950 with a couple of parting gifts like oh I 00:05:11.960 --> 00:05:14.230 don't know herpes and the flu and then 00:05:14.240 --> 00:05:15.909 act like it's their fault they couldn't 00:05:15.919 --> 00:05:20.070 keep up classy Humanity inventing 00:05:20.080 --> 00:05:22.670 biological warfare before it was even a 00:05:22.680 --> 00:05:26.870 thing truly an inspiring origin 00:05:26.880 --> 00:05:29.950 story inbreeding had other consequences 00:05:29.960 --> 00:05:31.790 too while it didn't save the 00:05:31.800 --> 00:05:34.790 Neanderthals as a species it didn't sure 00:05:34.800 --> 00:05:37.309 they leave their Mark today people of 00:05:37.319 --> 00:05:39.749 European and Asian descent carry about 1 00:05:39.759 --> 00:05:42.990 to 2% Neanderthal DNA but let's not 00:05:43.000 --> 00:05:45.070 romanticize this genetic 00:05:45.080 --> 00:05:47.270 exchange these weren't exactly 00:05:47.280 --> 00:05:50.150 Starcrossed lovers forging a new future 00:05:50.160 --> 00:05:52.350 together many of these encounters were 00:05:52.360 --> 00:05:55.230 likely violent neanderthals taking Homo 00:05:55.240 --> 00:05:58.710 sapiens by force as trophies or mates 00:05:58.720 --> 00:06:00.070 it's a grim reminder Remer that 00:06:00.080 --> 00:06:02.430 Evolution doesn't play by modern moral 00:06:02.440 --> 00:06:05.350 standards still even as their genes 00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:07.790 merged with ours the Neanderthals 00:06:07.800 --> 00:06:09.749 couldn't stop the slow motion collapse 00:06:09.759 --> 00:06:13.430 of their population disease starvation 00:06:13.440 --> 00:06:15.309 and the Relentless toll of environmental 00:06:15.319 --> 00:06:17.990 changes left them critically weakened 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:20.629 Homo sapiens didn't have to finish them 00:06:20.639 --> 00:06:24.070 off nature was already doing the job the 00:06:24.080 --> 00:06:25.749 end of the Neanderthals wasn't a 00:06:25.759 --> 00:06:28.390 Hollywood style finale with an epic Last 00:06:28.400 --> 00:06:32.029 Stand it was was a slow grinding fade 00:06:32.039 --> 00:06:34.510 once Mighty Hunters who had ruled the 00:06:34.520 --> 00:06:38.150 Ice Age Europe for over 200,000 years 00:06:38.160 --> 00:06:40.629 became scattered remnants their power 00:06:40.639 --> 00:06:43.150 slipping away with every passing 00:06:43.160 --> 00:06:45.950 generation and just like that the 00:06:45.960 --> 00:06:48.589 Neanderthals were gone leaving behind 00:06:48.599 --> 00:06:51.990 fragments of their story bones tools and 00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:55.070 traces in our DNA but for all their 00:06:55.080 --> 00:06:58.029 strength resilience and dominance they 00:06:58.039 --> 00:07:00.869 couldn't outrun the changing world or 00:07:00.879 --> 00:07:05.790 the Relentless adaptability of their 00:07:05.800 --> 00:07:11.950 [Music] 00:07:11.960 --> 00:07:13.909 cousins before we get into the 00:07:13.919 --> 00:07:16.270 nitty-gritty of the evidence let's pause 00:07:16.280 --> 00:07:18.950 for a reality check we're talking about 00:07:18.960 --> 00:07:20.990 events that allegedly took place over 00:07:21.000 --> 00:07:24.790 70,000 years ago a time so far back that 00:07:24.800 --> 00:07:26.990 it makes the phrase ancient history 00:07:27.000 --> 00:07:30.070 sound fresh the fossil Rec records 00:07:30.080 --> 00:07:33.029 archaeological digs and genetic Clues we 00:07:33.039 --> 00:07:35.510 have from that era are like scattered 00:07:35.520 --> 00:07:38.150 puzzle pieces from a 10,000 piece jigsaw 00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:40.869 puzzle and most of the pieces are either 00:07:40.879 --> 00:07:43.950 missing or got chewed up by the dog 00:07:43.960 --> 00:07:45.629 whether you're a fan of mainstream 00:07:45.639 --> 00:07:48.749 science intrigued by pseudo science or 00:07:48.759 --> 00:07:50.710 like to dabble in both after a glass of 00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:53.309 wine the truth of what really went down 00:07:53.319 --> 00:07:56.189 back then is let's face it a little 00:07:56.199 --> 00:07:59.589 murky except for the story that one was 00:07:59.599 --> 00:08:02.070 mind everything you've heard so far the 00:08:02.080 --> 00:08:03.790 chilling accounts of Neanderthal 00:08:03.800 --> 00:08:06.270 predation the near Extinction of homo 00:08:06.280 --> 00:08:09.550 sapiens and the Savage War for survival 00:08:09.560 --> 00:08:12.510 is largely derived from a single Source 00:08:12.520 --> 00:08:14.990 them and us how neander thought 00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:19.070 predation created modern humans by Danny 00:08:19.080 --> 00:08:21.670 vendramini it's a theory that reimagines 00:08:21.680 --> 00:08:23.950 the prehistoric world as a brutal 00:08:23.960 --> 00:08:26.149 landscape where neanderthals weren't 00:08:26.159 --> 00:08:28.629 just competitors but apex predators that 00:08:28.639 --> 00:08:35.190 hunted our ANC s like prey but is it 00:08:35.200 --> 00:08:39.110 true science has some strong words okay 00:08:39.120 --> 00:08:42.430 evidence against vini's portrayal of 00:08:42.440 --> 00:08:45.150 Neanderthals as Relentless predatory 00:08:45.160 --> 00:08:48.190 beasts sure the theory is bone chilling 00:08:48.200 --> 00:08:50.710 and reads like a prehistoric Thriller 00:08:50.720 --> 00:08:52.630 but mainstream research offers a far 00:08:52.640 --> 00:08:55.550 more layered even sympathetic view of 00:08:55.560 --> 00:08:57.430 neanderthals it's a version that 00:08:57.440 --> 00:08:59.550 challenges the darkest elements of vend 00:08:59.560 --> 00:09:01.550 min's narrative let's start with the 00:09:01.560 --> 00:09:04.230 Neanderthals themselves they weren't the 00:09:04.240 --> 00:09:07.110 Mindless Hunters vendramini described 00:09:07.120 --> 00:09:09.190 archaological evidence shows they were 00:09:09.200 --> 00:09:12.990 smart and resourceful think more DIY 00:09:13.000 --> 00:09:16.310 survivalists than soulless Predators 00:09:16.320 --> 00:09:18.829 scientists have uncovered Advanced tools 00:09:18.839 --> 00:09:20.750 personal adornments like necklaces and 00:09:20.760 --> 00:09:23.030 pendants and even symbolic art 00:09:23.040 --> 00:09:26.030 attributed to neanderthals yes they 00:09:26.040 --> 00:09:30.190 painted caves too take that homo sapiens 00:09:30.200 --> 00:09:32.389 these creative flourishes hint at 00:09:32.399 --> 00:09:34.910 abstract thought and self-expression 00:09:34.920 --> 00:09:36.710 which sound a lot more like signs of 00:09:36.720 --> 00:09:39.150 culture than some Primal urge to kill 00:09:39.160 --> 00:09:41.949 anything that moves then there's their 00:09:41.959 --> 00:09:45.670 soft side yes meanderthals had one 00:09:45.680 --> 00:09:47.910 burial sites and evidence of care for 00:09:47.920 --> 00:09:50.030 injured group members suggest they 00:09:50.040 --> 00:09:51.750 weren't just out there clubbing mammoths 00:09:51.760 --> 00:09:54.389 all day they worked together forming 00:09:54.399 --> 00:09:56.190 emotional bonds and supporting each 00:09:56.200 --> 00:09:58.310 other in ways that go beyond mere 00:09:58.320 --> 00:10:01.509 survival empathy isn't exactly what 00:10:01.519 --> 00:10:03.230 you'd expect from a supposed apex 00:10:03.240 --> 00:10:06.470 predator right so maybe they weren't the 00:10:06.480 --> 00:10:08.829 prehistoric Boogeyman they're sometimes 00:10:08.839 --> 00:10:12.389 made out to be now about this supposed 00:10:12.399 --> 00:10:15.069 war with Homo sapiens for tens of 00:10:15.079 --> 00:10:17.470 thousands of years neanderthals and 00:10:17.480 --> 00:10:19.350 early humans lived in overlapping 00:10:19.360 --> 00:10:21.550 territories across Europe in the Middle 00:10:21.560 --> 00:10:24.230 East if neanderthals who were regularly 00:10:24.240 --> 00:10:26.990 hunting Homo sapiens archaeologists 00:10:27.000 --> 00:10:29.949 argue we'd find more signs of of violent 00:10:29.959 --> 00:10:32.269 Encounters in the fossil record broken 00:10:32.279 --> 00:10:35.350 bones smashed skulls something but the 00:10:35.360 --> 00:10:37.790 evidence it points to competition for 00:10:37.800 --> 00:10:39.790 resources rather than some ancient 00:10:39.800 --> 00:10:42.629 version of a predator prey Showdown it's 00:10:42.639 --> 00:10:44.670 more like rival neighbors squabbling 00:10:44.680 --> 00:10:47.110 over land than one species trying to 00:10:47.120 --> 00:10:49.750 wipe out the other in those injuries on 00:10:49.760 --> 00:10:52.790 Neanderthal skeletons V drini might call 00:10:52.800 --> 00:10:55.350 them Battle Scars but many scientists 00:10:55.360 --> 00:10:58.230 have a less dramatic explanation hunting 00:10:58.240 --> 00:11:00.870 accidents neanderthals weren't exactly 00:11:00.880 --> 00:11:03.389 taking down squirrels they were hunting 00:11:03.399 --> 00:11:05.509 massive creatures like mammoths and 00:11:05.519 --> 00:11:08.350 bison with short-range Spears imagine 00:11:08.360 --> 00:11:09.829 getting up close and personal with a 00:11:09.839 --> 00:11:14.110 mammoth yeah not exactly a low-risk gig 00:11:14.120 --> 00:11:16.069 experts compare their injuries to those 00:11:16.079 --> 00:11:18.670 of modern Rodeo Riders fractures and 00:11:18.680 --> 00:11:20.790 scars from dangerous work not 00:11:20.800 --> 00:11:23.670 prehistoric combat turns out being a 00:11:23.680 --> 00:11:26.030 neanderthal wasn't just brutal it was 00:11:26.040 --> 00:11:29.990 downright hazardous 00:11:30.000 --> 00:11:37.150 [Music] 00:11:37.160 --> 00:11:39.710 but now hang on a second let's flip the 00:11:39.720 --> 00:11:41.269 script for a moment and dig into the 00:11:41.279 --> 00:11:43.110 evidence that gives some weight to 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:46.190 vini's theory Sure the idea of 00:11:46.200 --> 00:11:49.310 Neanderthals as apex predators ruthless 00:11:49.320 --> 00:11:52.230 Hunters who saw Homo sapiens as their 00:11:52.240 --> 00:11:55.069 next meal sounds a bit like the setup 00:11:55.079 --> 00:11:57.509 for a prehistoric horror movie but the 00:11:57.519 --> 00:11:59.750 archaeological record has some hit H 00:11:59.760 --> 00:12:02.150 that make you wonder if maybe just maybe 00:12:02.160 --> 00:12:04.870 he's on to something first up the 00:12:04.880 --> 00:12:07.550 injuries on the andreal skeletons we're 00:12:07.560 --> 00:12:09.910 talking fractures puncture wounds and 00:12:09.920 --> 00:12:12.430 blunt force trauma stuff that mainstream 00:12:12.440 --> 00:12:14.350 science often chalks up to hunting 00:12:14.360 --> 00:12:16.670 accidents or the occasional Neanderthal 00:12:16.680 --> 00:12:18.910 bar brawl but what if that's not the 00:12:18.920 --> 00:12:22.230 full story venerini suggests these scars 00:12:22.240 --> 00:12:24.509 aren't just from runin with mammoths or 00:12:24.519 --> 00:12:27.670 clumsy spear work their evidence of full 00:12:27.680 --> 00:12:29.710 on no holds bar to Clash 00:12:29.720 --> 00:12:32.550 with Homo sapiens think of it as a 00:12:32.560 --> 00:12:34.910 prehistoric Turf War where the stakes 00:12:34.920 --> 00:12:37.870 weren't just a territory but survival 00:12:37.880 --> 00:12:40.949 itself then there's the Weaponry around 00:12:40.959 --> 00:12:44.269 70,000 years ago Homo sapiens suddenly 00:12:44.279 --> 00:12:46.670 leveled up their Arsenal crafting 00:12:46.680 --> 00:12:48.910 throwing Spears and eventually bows and 00:12:48.920 --> 00:12:52.069 arrows these weren't just fancy new toys 00:12:52.079 --> 00:12:55.110 they were game changers ranged weapons 00:12:55.120 --> 00:12:57.629 meant Homo sapiens could keep Predators 00:12:57.639 --> 00:13:01.150 like neanderthals at arms length or more 00:13:01.160 --> 00:13:04.389 accurately at Spear's length V drini 00:13:04.399 --> 00:13:06.269 argues that this wasn't just a creative 00:13:06.279 --> 00:13:08.870 spark it was necessity when you're 00:13:08.880 --> 00:13:11.230 facing a predator who can overpower you 00:13:11.240 --> 00:13:13.509 with brute strength staying out of their 00:13:13.519 --> 00:13:15.710 reach becomes less of a strategy and 00:13:15.720 --> 00:13:18.470 more of a survival requirement makes 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:21.110 sense to me these tools weren't just 00:13:21.120 --> 00:13:23.509 about hunting mammoths they were about 00:13:23.519 --> 00:13:25.990 not becoming dinner yourself and 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:28.110 speaking of brute strength let's talk 00:13:28.120 --> 00:13:31.189 about the neander th's physicality these 00:13:31.199 --> 00:13:34.150 guys were in fact built like tanks their 00:13:34.160 --> 00:13:36.629 muscle pack frames weren't just for show 00:13:36.639 --> 00:13:38.870 they were survival machines capable of 00:13:38.880 --> 00:13:41.389 taking down massive prey with nothing 00:13:41.399 --> 00:13:44.430 but primitive weapons and raw power 00:13:44.440 --> 00:13:47.150 vendramini argues that this overwhelming 00:13:47.160 --> 00:13:49.110 physical Advantage could have made Homo 00:13:49.120 --> 00:13:50.790 sapiens easy 00:13:50.800 --> 00:13:53.590 pickings now let's be honest in a 00:13:53.600 --> 00:13:56.110 one-on-one scenario the average Homo 00:13:56.120 --> 00:13:58.269 Sapien probably looked like an underfed 00:13:58.279 --> 00:14:00.550 gazelle facing off against the 00:14:00.560 --> 00:14:03.550 linebacker finally there's the timing of 00:14:03.560 --> 00:14:06.069 What's called the Great Leap Forward 00:14:06.079 --> 00:14:09.350 around 70,000 years ago Homo sapiens 00:14:09.360 --> 00:14:11.069 suddenly started doing things like 00:14:11.079 --> 00:14:13.550 painting on Cave walls crafting Advanced 00:14:13.560 --> 00:14:16.069 tools and organizing in more complex 00:14:16.079 --> 00:14:19.069 social groups mainstream science 00:14:19.079 --> 00:14:21.790 attributes this to genetic mutations or 00:14:21.800 --> 00:14:23.749 environmental pressures but when 00:14:23.759 --> 00:14:26.350 damini's take is a lot more dramatic He 00:14:26.360 --> 00:14:28.269 suggests sleep wasn't just Evolution 00:14:28.279 --> 00:14:29.550 doing its thing 00:14:29.560 --> 00:14:31.110 it was a direct response to the 00:14:31.120 --> 00:14:35.030 Neanderthal threat picture this Humanity 00:14:35.040 --> 00:14:36.629 staring Extinction in the face and 00:14:36.639 --> 00:14:42.560 saying we better get smarter and 00:14:42.570 --> 00:14:48.790 [Music] 00:14:48.800 --> 00:14:51.470 fast all right now in fairness and to be 00:14:51.480 --> 00:14:53.710 completely thorough let's step into the 00:14:53.720 --> 00:14:56.269 murky Middle Ground the evidence that 00:14:56.279 --> 00:14:59.389 doesn't neatly fit into anyone's story 00:14:59.399 --> 00:15:01.189 these fragments of the past are like a 00:15:01.199 --> 00:15:03.350 puzzle missing half its pieces 00:15:03.360 --> 00:15:06.790 intriguing absolutely frustrating you 00:15:06.800 --> 00:15:09.509 bet they tease us with Clues but refuse 00:15:09.519 --> 00:15:11.749 to give us the full picture take the 00:15:11.759 --> 00:15:14.310 fossil record for instance among the 00:15:14.320 --> 00:15:16.629 remains of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens 00:15:16.639 --> 00:15:19.069 we find traces of trauma fractured 00:15:19.079 --> 00:15:21.430 skulls punctured ribs that might have 00:15:21.440 --> 00:15:23.710 been caused by weapons sounds like 00:15:23.720 --> 00:15:26.310 evidence of inner species combat right 00:15:26.320 --> 00:15:29.749 well maybe these injuries are rare and 00:15:29.759 --> 00:15:32.069 their causes are anything but a 00:15:32.079 --> 00:15:34.150 clearcut were they the scars of 00:15:34.160 --> 00:15:36.790 prehistoric skirmishes clumsy hunting 00:15:36.800 --> 00:15:38.949 accidents or maybe just your standard 00:15:38.959 --> 00:15:41.230 Fred got into it with Bob over the last 00:15:41.240 --> 00:15:42.749 Mammoth stake 00:15:42.759 --> 00:15:45.509 situation the fossils aren't exactly 00:15:45.519 --> 00:15:48.309 spilling the tea they're leaving us to 00:15:48.319 --> 00:15:51.430 piece it together ourselves now let's 00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:54.189 talk about that Great Leap Forward that 00:15:54.199 --> 00:15:56.350 mysterious Turning Point around 70,000 00:15:56.360 --> 00:15:58.069 years ago when Homo sapiens went from 00:15:58.079 --> 00:15:59.870 surviving to thriv 00:15:59.880 --> 00:16:03.509 basically they became us suddenly we see 00:16:03.519 --> 00:16:05.949 a symbolic Arc Advanced tools and the 00:16:05.959 --> 00:16:08.230 beginnings of organized societies 00:16:08.240 --> 00:16:10.990 mainstream science chalks it up to eh 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:13.230 just a cocktail of genetic mutations 00:16:13.240 --> 00:16:15.389 environmental pressures and social 00:16:15.399 --> 00:16:18.470 cooperation finally hitting its stride 00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:20.990 but when drini offers a much darker 00:16:21.000 --> 00:16:23.710 interpretation He suggests this wasn't 00:16:23.720 --> 00:16:26.269 just Evolution doing its thing it was a 00:16:26.279 --> 00:16:28.470 fight or die Sprint forced by the 00:16:28.480 --> 00:16:30.030 existential Potential Threat of 00:16:30.040 --> 00:16:32.590 Neanderthals picture it we weren't just 00:16:32.600 --> 00:16:35.309 evolving we were in survival mode trying 00:16:35.319 --> 00:16:37.670 to outwit and Outlast a predator that 00:16:37.680 --> 00:16:40.309 had every Advantage were we adapting out 00:16:40.319 --> 00:16:42.629 of necessity or was it just the right 00:16:42.639 --> 00:16:45.069 time for our big brains to 00:16:45.079 --> 00:16:48.790 shine the truth frustratingly remains 00:16:48.800 --> 00:16:50.990 Elusive and that's the thing about these 00:16:51.000 --> 00:16:53.389 gray areas they highlight the gaps in 00:16:53.399 --> 00:16:55.990 what we know where neanderthals the 00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:58.350 terrifying apex predators V Damini 00:16:58.360 --> 00:17:00.389 describes or were they just tough 00:17:00.399 --> 00:17:03.430 survivors making do in a brutal world 00:17:03.440 --> 00:17:05.630 the evidence doesn't make it easy to 00:17:05.640 --> 00:17:08.189 decide what we're left with is an 00:17:08.199 --> 00:17:11.669 enigmatic story a mix of hard facts and 00:17:11.679 --> 00:17:14.669 tantalizing maybe as fleeting and 00:17:14.679 --> 00:17:20.559 unpredictable as the Ice Age wins 00:17:20.569 --> 00:17:23.710 [Music] 00:17:23.720 --> 00:17:25.789 themselves the relationship between 00:17:25.799 --> 00:17:28.150 neanderthals and Homo sapiens is 00:17:28.160 --> 00:17:30.789 anything but straight forward like most 00:17:30.799 --> 00:17:33.430 stories from Deep history the truth is 00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:35.230 likely Tangled somewhere in the messy 00:17:35.240 --> 00:17:37.789 Middle Ground not a clear-cut tail of 00:17:37.799 --> 00:17:41.150 predator and prey nor a Rosy picture of 00:17:41.160 --> 00:17:42.230 peaceful 00:17:42.240 --> 00:17:45.190 coexistence instead it's a saga of 00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:47.750 survival adaptation and sheer 00:17:47.760 --> 00:17:50.070 determination in a world that offered no 00:17:50.080 --> 00:17:53.270 easy paths forward neanderthals weren't 00:17:53.280 --> 00:17:54.990 the Mindless Predators vendramini 00:17:55.000 --> 00:17:57.590 describes but let's not sugarcoat it 00:17:57.600 --> 00:17:59.950 they were formidable their immense 00:17:59.960 --> 00:18:02.950 strength tactical prowess and Mastery of 00:18:02.960 --> 00:18:04.830 their environment made them dominant in 00:18:04.840 --> 00:18:08.390 their time at the same time Homo sapiens 00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:11.029 weren't innocent Wanderers quietly 00:18:11.039 --> 00:18:13.270 displacing the endals through sheer 00:18:13.280 --> 00:18:16.310 Ingenuity these were two species locked 00:18:16.320 --> 00:18:18.909 in a high-stake struggle for survival 00:18:18.919 --> 00:18:21.990 both fiercely resourceful both willing 00:18:22.000 --> 00:18:23.590 to push the boundaries of what it meant 00:18:23.600 --> 00:18:27.230 to adapt nature itself likely played the 00:18:27.240 --> 00:18:29.510 role of Puppet Master forcing the two 00:18:29.520 --> 00:18:32.590 species to inevitable contact and 00:18:32.600 --> 00:18:35.029 conflict the evidence hints at Fierce 00:18:35.039 --> 00:18:37.909 competition fleeting alliances and even 00:18:37.919 --> 00:18:40.710 moments of inbreeding but what if the 00:18:40.720 --> 00:18:43.149 Dynamics were more Primal than we've 00:18:43.159 --> 00:18:45.710 imagined what if at least in those early 00:18:45.720 --> 00:18:47.870 encounters Homo sapiens weren't the 00:18:47.880 --> 00:18:50.870 cunning aggressors but the hunted what 00:18:50.880 --> 00:18:52.830 if it was the Relentless threat of 00:18:52.840 --> 00:18:55.390 Neanderthals that forced our ancestors 00:18:55.400 --> 00:18:58.230 to innovate cooperate and create just to 00:18:58.240 --> 00:18:59.830 survive 00:18:59.840 --> 00:19:02.950 after all nothing drives Evolution quite 00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:06.190 like a brush with Extinction today The 00:19:06.200 --> 00:19:07.830 Echoes of this ancient relationship 00:19:07.840 --> 00:19:10.390 linger within us the traces of 00:19:10.400 --> 00:19:13.590 Neanderthal DNA in modern humans suggest 00:19:13.600 --> 00:19:16.070 not just interbreeding but a blending of 00:19:16.080 --> 00:19:19.510 Destinies for me this topic isn't just 00:19:19.520 --> 00:19:21.950 fascinating in a distant academic way 00:19:21.960 --> 00:19:24.310 it's personal I've discovered through 00:19:24.320 --> 00:19:26.830 genetic testing that I carry 2% 00:19:26.840 --> 00:19:29.750 Neanderthal DNA which is is about 40% 00:19:29.760 --> 00:19:32.590 more than the average person tested it's 00:19:32.600 --> 00:19:34.870 humbling to think that a part of me 00:19:34.880 --> 00:19:37.190 connects so directly to these ancient 00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:39.230 beings from thousands and thousands of 00:19:39.240 --> 00:19:42.190 years ago it's not just a curiosity 00:19:42.200 --> 00:19:44.870 about the past it's a piece of my own 00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:48.310 story written in My DNA oh 2% 00:19:48.320 --> 00:19:51.990 Neanderthal huh explains the bad posture 00:19:52.000 --> 00:19:54.549 and the forehead Ralph let's not forget 00:19:54.559 --> 00:19:56.750 the forehead but hey look on the bright 00:19:56.760 --> 00:19:59.029 side it means your ancestors were either 00:19:59.039 --> 00:20:01.270 irresistible or really bad at running 00:20:01.280 --> 00:20:04.390 away but humor aside reflecting on this 00:20:04.400 --> 00:20:07.029 shared history stir something deeper 00:20:07.039 --> 00:20:09.710 it's not just curiosity about the past 00:20:09.720 --> 00:20:13.190 it's a subtle almost Primal unease 00:20:13.200 --> 00:20:15.149 perhaps it's the echo of a time when 00:20:15.159 --> 00:20:18.149 survival meant constant vigilance when 00:20:18.159 --> 00:20:20.990 the other wasn't just an abstract idea 00:20:21.000 --> 00:20:24.270 but a tangible thread could the fear of 00:20:24.280 --> 00:20:26.909 Outsiders so deeply rooted in human 00:20:26.919 --> 00:20:29.430 psychology have its origin in those 00:20:29.440 --> 00:20:31.990 encounters with meanderthals a predator 00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:35.230 that looked eerily like us then jini's 00:20:35.240 --> 00:20:37.630 Theory may take a darker approach than 00:20:37.640 --> 00:20:40.149 mainstream science but it's a compelling 00:20:40.159 --> 00:20:42.549 lens through which to view this ancient 00:20:42.559 --> 00:20:45.270 Saga what if the very qualities we now 00:20:45.280 --> 00:20:47.470 take pride in our intelligence 00:20:47.480 --> 00:20:50.310 creativity and capacity for Innovation 00:20:50.320 --> 00:20:52.430 were forged in The Crucible of that 00:20:52.440 --> 00:20:55.510 existential struggle in the end the 00:20:55.520 --> 00:20:57.230 relationship between neanderthals and 00:20:57.240 --> 00:21:00.149 Homo sapiens wasn't black and white they 00:21:00.159 --> 00:21:03.190 were predator and prey Rivals and 00:21:03.200 --> 00:21:06.190 collaborators sometimes even kin their 00:21:06.200 --> 00:21:08.110 story is one of Blurred Lines and 00:21:08.120 --> 00:21:10.710 shifting Dynamics where survival wasn't 00:21:10.720 --> 00:21:13.750 a right but a Relentless fight and while 00:21:13.760 --> 00:21:15.630 we may never untangle every threat of 00:21:15.640 --> 00:21:18.710 this narrative one thing is clear the 00:21:18.720 --> 00:21:21.990 echo of their world still shape ours 00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:25.750 down to the very marrow of our 00:21:25.760 --> 00:21:28.630 bones thanks for diving into this wild 00:21:28.640 --> 00:21:31.110 topic with me today I'm Ralph that's 00:21:31.120 --> 00:21:33.230 Wendell and you've just finished another 00:21:33.240 --> 00:21:36.070 fascinating ride on Divergent history if 00:21:36.080 --> 00:21:38.310 you had fun or picked up something new 00:21:38.320 --> 00:21:40.909 do me a favor hit subscribe share this 00:21:40.919 --> 00:21:42.710 video and smash all those buttons that 00:21:42.720 --> 00:21:45.310 tell the YouTube overlords we're worth 00:21:45.320 --> 00:21:47.830 watching seriously it's the small 00:21:47.840 --> 00:21:49.750 channels like ours that need every click 00:21:49.760 --> 00:21:52.310 to stay afloat in this giant sea of 00:21:52.320 --> 00:21:55.430 content but here's the truth you are the 00:21:55.440 --> 00:21:57.549 secret sauce of this channel your 00:21:57.559 --> 00:22:00.350 curiosity your ideas and your theories 00:22:00.360 --> 00:22:03.029 make these episodes what they are so 00:22:03.039 --> 00:22:05.190 what's your take on this one do you have 00:22:05.200 --> 00:22:07.590 a theory a question that's been gnawing 00:22:07.600 --> 00:22:10.789 at your brain or maybe just a wild idea 00:22:10.799 --> 00:22:13.029 we should tackle next drop it in the 00:22:13.039 --> 00:22:16.029 comments I promise I read them all who 00:22:16.039 --> 00:22:18.470 knows your suggestion might just become 00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:20.870 our next great adventure and if you're 00:22:20.880 --> 00:22:23.470 feeling extra generous consider joining 00:22:23.480 --> 00:22:26.350 the Divergent history crew on patreon 00:22:26.360 --> 00:22:27.870 not only will you get some awesome 00:22:27.880 --> 00:22:30.350 member only perks but you'll also help 00:22:30.360 --> 00:22:32.149 keep this channel alive and 00:22:32.159 --> 00:22:35.390 thriving now remember together we're 00:22:35.400 --> 00:22:37.669 uncovering truths bigger than what they 00:22:37.679 --> 00:22:39.230 try to sweep under the 00:22:39.240 --> 00:22:42.149 rug you are the heart of this journey 00:22:42.159 --> 00:22:44.070 and I can't wait to explore the next 00:22:44.080 --> 00:22:48.029 story with you so until next time stay 00:22:48.039 --> 00:22:51.230 curious stay kind and know that you are 00:22:51.240 --> 00:22:56.360 truly appreciated have a great night 00:22:56.370 --> 00:23:00.430 [Music]