New evidence has emerged that Neanderthals co-existed with anatomically modern humans for at least 1,000 years in central France. The finding suggests Neanderthals came to a tragic and lingering end. Few chapters in the rise of Homo sapiens, as modern mankind is known, have triggered as much debate as the fate of the Neanderthals. Smaller and squatter than Homo sapiens but with larger brains, Neanderthals lived in Europe, parts of central Asia and the Middle East for about 170,000 years. But vestiges of the Neanderthals stop about 28,000 to 30,000 years ago. At that point, Homo sapiens, a smart, ascendant sub-species of humans originating in eastern Africa, became the undisputed masters of the planet.
So what happened to the Neanderthals?
How do creationists deal with evidence of this kind? Are Neaderthals in the bible? What about intelligent design as it relates to this article? Doesn't she look like one of those little grey men from 'outer space'? Was this competition the earliest signs of our fear of the outside, which would refine itself into racism? Is it signifigant that their brains were larger? Stories like this fuel a million different sci-fi fantasies, or stargate. More dicussion: /.
Update: An editorial at Salon.com pokes fun at the ignorance of some proponents of intelligent design whom might be fans of "March of the Penguins".
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