[Music]
70,000 years ago Homo sapiens stood on
the edge of
Extinction they weren't the masters of
the planet we'd like to imagine no
cities no Grand plans just scattered
groups of foragers trying not to die
forget apex predators these were folks
clinging to survival huddled around
campfires that didn't do much to chase
away the cold or the fear Every Step
Beyond the tree line wasn't just risky
it was basically a signup sheet for who
wants to disappear next because they
weren't the hunters they were the hunted
the Predator not the Lions or Wolves
creeping around in the dark not even the
Sabertooth cats with their thisal hurt
Smiles no the real nightmare wasn't n't
something from a bad movie it was
something terrifyingly real a creature
that looked a little like us but was
built like a tank and acted like a
Hitman Homo
neanderthalensis the
Neanderthal now before you picture some
cartoonish caveman grunting and dragging
a club stop these guys weren't bumbling
fools neanderthals were Precision
engineered Machines of survival sure
they only stood about 5 1/2 ft tall but
they packed that height with enough raw
power to make a linebacker look delicate
muscles like steel cables bones thick
enough to shrug off the kind of injuries
that would flatten most of us and grip
that could crush bones like they were
potato chips oh and they didn't get
tired these weren't sprinters they were
endurance monsters who could track prey
for miles and still have the energy to
crush it when they got there and those
eyes they didn't just see you they saw
you every twitch every mistake nothing
escaped their notice if you ran into a
neanderthal you weren't just unlucky you
were doomed these weren't scavengers
neanderthals were apex predators who
ruled the icy forests and plains of
Europe and Asia like they'd inherited
the deed
where Homo sapiens scraped by on
leftovers neanderthals claimed the best
hunting grounds and set traps like
professionals and when Homo sapiens
started wandering into their territories
well the Neanderthals didn't welcome
them with a fruit basket nope they saw
competition and competition needed to be
well
eliminated the first meetings between
these two species weren't diplomatic
they were massacres Homo sapiens didn't
stand a chance neanderthals didn't fight
fair they fought to win and they did
every single time imagine trying to
fight off a freight train with a pointy
stick that's basically what it was like
the survivors weren't retreating they
were running for their lives the forests
once full of cautious hope turned into
the kind of place where every twig snap
sounded like a death
sentence this wasn't a war it was barely
even a fight it was Survival by the Skin
of Their
Teeth for thousands of years
neanderthals ruled Homo sapiens they
were the species most likely to not make
it running hiding surviving on the
scraps they left behind in those
campfires they huddled around let's just
say it wasn't for warmth it was to keep
the monsters at
and yet somehow a spark survived not
strength not dominance just sheer
stubborn
resilience Homo sapiens didn't know how
they were going to outlast the
Neanderthals or if they even could but
giving up wasn't on the table because if
they lost it wasn't just their species
that disappeared it was everything they'
ever hoped for everything they could
ever be but but don't cue the
inspirational music just yet the
meanderthals weren't done not even close
they were still Kings of the Ice Age and
their rain wasn't about to crumble
overnight for Homo sapiens the darkest
days were still ahead the answers might
change everything you know let's find
out
[Music]
neanderthals weren't just apex predators
they were the Ice Age version of Apex
everything sure they only stood about 5
1/2 ft tall compacted by modern
standards but don't let that fool you
these weren't your gym rack cousins they
were built like freight trains all
muscle and bone designed for raw power
not
finesse if a neanderthal walked into a
modern gym they wouldn't bother with the
weights they'd probably just pick up the
squat rack their diet reflected their
dominance neanderthals were
opportunistic carnivores thriving on a
steady supply of Mammoth woolly Rhino
reindeer and
bison but they weren't above Scavenging
for plants nuts and Roots When big game
was scarce and then there were the times
when things got let's say a little Grim
evidence shows that neanderthals
occasionally resorted to cannibalism not
out of malice but necessity fossilized
Neanderthal bones marked with cut marks
and fractures tell a story of brutal
Winters where even their legendary
hunting skills couldn't save them if you
stumbled across one of these guys you
weren't just looking at a distant cousin
you were staring down a prehistoric tank
with a do whatever it takes attitude
toward
survival but brute strength wasn't their
only Edge these weren't just musclebound
Hunters flailing wildly at their prey
neanderthals were smart scary smart they
didn't rely on Brute Force alone they
were patient precise and terrifyingly
methodical they worked in tight
coordinated groups ambushing prey with
teamwork that made wolf packs look
amateur woolly rhinal mammoths nothing
was off the menu their hunting strategy
was simple surround strike and finish
quickly and it wasn't just animals that
ended up on the menu neanderthals
weren't exactly picky eaters excavations
have uncovered butchered Homo Sapien
bones alongside animal remains
suggesting that when push came to shove
H they didn't just view us as
competition
they viewed us as lunch and it didn't
stop there neanderthals also turned on
each other during desperate times to
them survival wasn't about morality it
was about living to see another day no
matter the
cost unlike Homo sapiens who often kept
a safe distance with ranged weapons
neanderthals got right up close and
personal no bows no arrows no slinging
rocks from from a cowardly distance they
charged in with heavy Spears in sheer
Brute Force delivering crushing blows
with the Precision of a
sledgehammer it wasn't just hunting it
was dominance they weren't chasing their
prey they were asserting ownership over
the Ice Age food chain right so let me
get this straight you're out here
sharing Tundra real estate with these
musclebound Terminators and your big
plan is what hope they're feeling
generous these guys weren't handing out
invitations to Mammoth BBQs they were
handing out Extinction notices and
judging by the results they had a pretty
effective delivery
system but neanderthals didn't just hunt
Homo sapiens they also interbred with
them whether it was through mutual
cooperation or less than consensual
encounters genetic evidence reveals that
neanderthals left their Mark in the DNA
of modern humans around 1 to 2% of the
genome in people of European and Asian
descent comes from neanderthals these
weren't just casual interactions they
were complex and sometimes brutal
relationships where the line between
enemy and mate was blurred it wasn't
just biology it was survival politics
for 200,000 years neanderthals thrived
in conditions that would have wiped out
weaker species they weren't just
surviving they were thriving their
Mastery over fire didn't just keep them
warm it allowed them to cook improving
their nutrition and fortifying them for
the harsh World they
dominated their tools weren't crude
Flint tipped Spears and scrapers rivaled
anything Homo sapiens could come up with
they weren't mindless brutes either
evidence of burial suggests they had
some concept of ritual or respect for
their own
kind these were beings of nuance brutal
Hunters but also capable of a kind of
creativity and adaptability that has
been long
underestimated neanderthals didn't just
adapt to their environment they owned it
they knew every Frozen River every
migration path in every hidden Ravine
this wasn't just survival it was a
master class in Ice Age living their
body bodies their tools and their
teamwork were designed to dominate an
unforgiving landscape for thousands of
years they ruled Europe and Asia without
question the Undisputed Kings of their
Frozen
domain and then we showed
[Music]
up 70,000 years ago homeo SA Ian were
far from the top of the food chain they
weren't Ice Age royalty they were
Scrappy underdogs barely hanging on
picture scattered bands of foragers
huddled around campfires their breath
visible in the freezing air every snap
of a twig or Shadow beyond the fire
light wasn't just Eerie it was
potentially the last thing they'd hear
these weren't rulers of the landscape
they were prey physically homo SA didn't
stand a chance against their main Rivals
they were taller skinnier and let's face
it a lot flimsier neanderthals were like
tanks sapiens were like those compact
cars that are great on gas but crumple
if you sneeze too hard near
them sure our lightweight frames were
great for running persistence hunting
specifically but in a head-to-head fight
let's just say we wouldn't put money on
the sapiens neanderthals could crush
skulls with a single blow we on the
other hand had creative thinking and
fragile necks and that creative thinking
it's what saved us Homo sapiens weren't
built for brute strength but they were
built for endurance their long legs and
wiry Frames were perfect for persistence
hunting it wasn't about speed it was
about the long game literally they chase
prey for hours sometimes days until it
just gave up imagine running a marathon
while being hunted by a bunch of sapiens
who refus to quit eventually you'd throw
in the towel too this endurance wasn't
just physical it was a lifestyle they
followed seasonal migrations foraging
for roots and berries along the way but
Mobility had its risks every step into
unfamiliar territory brought new
Predators both human and not so human
where Homo sapiens lacked strength they
compensated with Ingenuity their tools
weren't fancy but they were
revolutionary lightweight throwing
Spears and darts allowed them to hunt
from a distance no need to get up close
and personal with a mammoth or worse a
neanderthal the atol a spear thrower
turned their wimpy human arms into long
range death
machines it wasn't brute force it was
efficiency
alongside weapons they made bone needles
for sewing clothing fish hooks for
exploiting rivers and lakes and traps
for catching smaller game while they
hunted bigger prizes and then there was
their secret weapon Community Homo
sapiens weren't solo artists they were a
team sport they formed Titanic groups
where everyone had a role hunting
Gathering protecting or caring for the
young these weren't just survival
mechanics they were survival strategies
cooperation made them stronger and
communication made them
smarter that's where language came in
Homo sapiens didn't just Grunt and point
they spoke okay maybe it wasn't
Shakespeare but it was enough to share
hunting tips worn about predators and
swap life hacks about which berries
would kill you this ability to exchange
ideas has turned every new tool or
tactic into a CommunityWide
upgrade they weren't just surviving they
were evolving in real
time but these weren't just cold
calculating groups sapiens were
emotional creatures too they cared for
their sick tended to their wounded and
buried their dead this wasn't just
practical it was deeply human where
neanderthals might leave the weak behind
sapiens carried them forward it wasn't
just survival of the fittest it was
survival of the most
connected then around 70,000 years ago
something extraordinary happened a
cognitive leap that turned sapiens into
innovators dreamers and
strategists they Painted Cave walls
adorned themselves with beads and buried
their dead with a touch of ritual this
wasn't just art it was imagination and
action they could could see a hunt
before it happened strategize and even
anticipate threats their minds weren't
just tools for survival they were
engineers of
creativity this creativity allowed Homo
sapiens to do what no other species
could
organize they could rally groups pull
resources and plan for long-term
survival whether it was mapping
migration routes constructing better
shelters or preparing to face predators
including the Andals they turned their
ideas into action and that made them
dangerous but let's not pretended was
smooth sailing Homo sapiens were walking
the razor's edge of Extinction their
immune systems weren't as robust as the
Neanderthals making them vulnerable to
disease their slim builds made them more
prone to injuries and less able to
withstand the brutal cold every failed
hunt was a potential death sentence in
every encounter with meanderthals wasn't
just risky it was
existential the Ice Age was a cruel and
unforgiving place the land was foreign
Predators were Relentless and Winters
didn't care about your survival plans
every decision carried life or death
Stakes Every Step Beyond the safety of
the campfire was a gamble with
terrifying odds okay let me get this
straight you've got these lanky humans
wandering Out of Africa like they're on
a gap year stumbling into Neanderthal
territory like they've RSVP to the wrong
party the Neanderthal are out there
built like linebackers with Spears and
the sapiens are what hoping for a warm
welcome spoiler alert no one's offering
them a seat at the table unless it's on
the
table that's very true Homo sapiens
weren't just fragile they were
outnumbered
outgunned and constantly on the
Run by any reasonable metric they should
have turned tail and retreated but they
didn't instead they pushed forward into
a world that wasn't just hostile it was
deadly this wasn't a migration it was an
invasion and the stakes couldn't have
been higher
[Music]
as I dug deeper into this topic one
thought kept haunting me what would it
have been like to actually see it to
stand there on the edge of
prehistory watching two species locked
in a Savage fight for survival imagine
being transported 70,000 years into the
past into a world sharper colder and far
more dangerous than anything we can
picture it wasn't just about survival it
was about raw Relentless fear every
shadow stretched a little too far every
snap of a twig wasn't just unsettling it
was a potential death
sentence now dim the lights raise the
volume and picture
it the air is crisp carrying the scent
of wood smoke and damp Earth Fire Light
flickers casting uneasy Shadows on faces
worn thin by hunger and anxiety
voices murmur softly too softly to
disturb the dark too soft to invite
anything out there to listen and there
it is that crushing weight that
instinctive bone deep sense that
something is watching you can't see it
but your body knows it's there every
hair stands on end every nerve screams
Danger let's go back together let's walk
into their world
the air hung thick with the smell of
smoke in damp Earth night had settled
over the forest and the faint glow from
the dying Embers of a cooking Fire cast
flickering Shadows across the small
clearing a handful of homo sapiens
huddled Around It sharing what little
warmth and food they had managed to scr
up after another brutal day of hunting
and
foraging their faces told the story
exhaustion hunger and that everpresent
edge of fear this wasn't just dinner it
was survival every crack of a twig every
Whisper Of Wind Through the Trees
carried the unspoken question is
something out there Predators were an
everyday threat part of the background
noise of life but tonight they weren't
just in the background tonight they were
closer than anyone dared
imagine I stand there somehow both
present and invisible my Modern Eyes
struggling to adjust to the flickering
Fire Light the fear on their faces is
unmistakable raw almost
tangible the whole scene feels fragile
like it could shatter with the slightest
disturbance then it
happens a sharp crack of a branch slices
through the Stillness and every head
snaps toward the darkness for a moment
the only sound is a steady chirping of
crickets oblivious to the rising dread
the leader a wiry man with deep set
watchful eyes lifts his hand silently
demanding Stillness nobody moves and
then the growl it's low guttural and
chilly the kind of sound that seems to
crawl under your skin and make your
chest tighten this wasn't a wolf or a
those would almost be a relief this is
something far
[Music]
worse from the Shadows they emerge the
Neanderthals they look like something
carved out of stone thick massive bodies
with muscles Rippling under the heavy
frames their heads are large their brows
heavy and their eyes glint with a cold
calculating intelligence that feels
disturbingly alien they carry Spears
brutal crude weapons that seem design
more for smashing than stabbing they
don't make a sound no Roars no threats
no warnings they just charge the first
impact is brutal one of the homo sapiens
closest to the edge of the camp barely
has time to scream before a neanderthal
spear drives into his chest lifting him
off the ground the the sound of the
strike a wet sickening crunch makes me
want to turn away but I can't I am
trapped a silent Observer to the chaos
the clearing explodes in a frenzy of
motion the homo sapiens scramble to grab
their weapons small sharpened sticks
little more than toys compared to the
Neanderthals crude but devastating tools
A Brave Young woman thrusts her spear
toward a neanderthal but it swatted away
like a twig the Neanderthal grabs her by
the arm twisting it with a horrifying
strength and throws her to the ground
with a thud that echoes in my chest she
doesn't move again I want to shout to
warn them to do something but I am
voiceless here a ghost in the past the
leader rallies a small group to fight
back their movements are quick and
desperate fueled by Terror they jab and
swing circling one of the neander THS
who now looks almost amused by their
efforts with a single swing of his Club
likee spear he breaks one man's arm and
crushes another skull blood splatters
the ground and the fire hisses as
droplets hit the Embers screams fill the
air some of the homo sapiens drop their
weapons and flee into the forest their
Shadows swallowed by the trees others
try to stand their ground their faces
masks of panic in determination but it's
clear this is not a fight it's a
slaughter a woman carrying a child boats
toward the caves I follow her my
perspective shifting as she runs her
breath comes in gasps and the child
clings to her neck silent but wide-eyed
behind her I hear the heavy footsteps of
a neanderthal in Pursuit she stumbles
and I feel my heart leap into my throat
but she doesn't fall somehow she keeps
moving her desperation propelling her
forward the caves come into view dark
openings in the Rocky Hillside that
offer a slim promise of safety other
survivors are already there climbing
over rocks and pushing deeper into the
Shadows the woman reaches the entrance
just as the pursuing Neanderthal closes
in she turns clutching a jagged Rock and
throws it with all her might it strikes
the Neanderthal shoulder barely slowing
him but it gives her enough time to
disappear into the Cave's Mall inside
the air is cold and smells of damp Stone
the survivors huddled together their
eyes wide and darting to every shadow
the sounds of the attack still echo
outside screams grunts the dull thud of
bodies hitting the ground a young boy
begins to sob his mother pressing a hand
over over his mouth to silence him
everyone knows that the Neanderthals
might come searching minutes feel like
hours eventually the noises outside fade
replaced by an eerie Stillness no one
moves no one speaks the silence is worse
than the screams a suffocating weight
that presses down on everyone in the
cave I can feel their fear like a
physical presence a tangible force in
the dark
the leader crawls to the entrance and
peers out his face is a mask of grief
and exhaustion when he returns they're
gone he whispers his voice horse the
silence in the cave is deafening it's
not the peaceful kind of Silence the
kind that settles after a storm no this
is something different it's a silence
born of fear of loss of the horrifying
realization that nothing will ever be
the same again
the survivors sit in the dim light their
bodies pressed against the cold Jagged
walls the woman with a child trembles
holding her little one close her eyes
darting toward the Cave's entrance with
every sound the leader his face lined
with exhaustion and grief stares blankly
into the darkness blood still streaks
his arms not his own but that of his
Fallen kin it's clear they've been here
before this isn't the the first time
they've lost loved ones nor will it be
the last but tonight feels different
tonight the Neanderthals didn't just
take lives they took hope hours pass the
fire at the Cave's entrance Burns low
casting flickering Shadows that seem to
dance like Restless spirits on the rocky
walls the group is quiet too drained to
even mourn one of the elders a wiry
woman with sunken eyes begins murmuring
softly a rhythmic chant that feels older
than the
Stars her voice is shaky but steady a
thread of humanity in a world that seems
to be
unraveling a young boy barely old enough
to hold a spear watches her his face is
pale streaked with dirt and tears but in
her voice he finds something to hold on
to he closes his eyes clutching a small
Stone pendant hanging around his neck
perhaps perhaps a Keepsake from his
father that he just lost for a brief
moment it feels as though the cave
itself is holding its breath offering
these fragile beings a fleeting sense of
protection but the calm is temporary it
always is the leader finally Rises his
movement slow and deliberate Like A man
carrying the weight of the world on his
shoulders we can't stay here he mutters
breaking the silence his words hang in
the air heavy and inevitable the group
doesn't respond immediately they know
he's right the Neanderthals are
Relentless they always come back the
caves might Shield them for a night but
come morning they'll need to move to
scatter to find another fragile
sanctuary in a world that offers none
and yet where can they go the
Neanderthals know the land better than
they ever will
every step forward feels like stepping
deeper into enemy
territory the leader's eyes flicker with
doubt but he doesn't let it show if he
falters so will they the leader takes a
deep breath his jaw tightening as he
looks over the huddled group they're
broken but alive and for now that's
enough he kneels by the fire his hands
trembling as he Stokes the Embers
coaxing the flame back to life we leave
at First Flight he says finally his
voice steady but Hollow the group nods
in unison their faces Grim but resigned
they've survived one night they'll have
to survive the next and then the next
until something
changes as I fade from this moment the
weight of their struggle lingers they
were prey in a world ruled by Predators
caught in a game of survival where the
odds were never in their favor but
somewhere in the flicker of their Fire
Light I see a spark small fragile but
unyielding it's the spark of something
that will one day change everything what
happens next isn't just survival it's a
shift a turning point and it will alter
the fate of both species forever
[Music]
thanks for diving into this wild topic
with me today I'm Ralph that's Wendell
and you've just finished another
fascinating ride on Divergent history if
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[Music]