article_snippet.sent: The arrival of an advanced group of modern humans in Europe 40,000 years ago played a role in the demise of Neanderthals, scientists have claimed.
article_snippet.sent: Neanderthals were the dominant human species in Europe and much of Asia for around 250,000 years before vanishing entirely 41,000 years ago.
article_snippet.sent: Now scientists have found proof that a group of modern humans known as the Protoaurignacian culture arrived in southern Europe at around the same time the Neanderthals disappeared.
article_snippet.sent: researchers suggest it was the arrival of this modern human culture that marked a turning point in humanity’s evolution and led to the rapid disappearance of Neanderthals in the face of researchers more advanced cousins.
article_snippet.sent: ‘This finding suggests that the arrival of our species on the continent might have triggered the demise of Neanderthals, which likely disappeared around 39,000 years ago.
article_snippet.sent: researchers suggest it was the arrival of this modern human culture (infant skull pictured left) led to the rapid disappearance of Neanderthals (skull pictured right)
article_snippet.sent: Instead, it is more likely that they disappeared 40,000 years ago because of interbreeding and assimilation with our early modern human ancestors, scientists believe.
article_snippet.sent: Many researchers believe the differences between the two human species are not enough on Many researchers own to account for the demise of the Neanderthals.
article_snippet.sent: Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology say that the findings prove that by 41,000 years ago modern humans of the Protoaurignacian culture were spreading across southern Europe.
article_snippet.sent: Previous research has shown that the two species did interbreed and some researchers have suggested Neanderthals became absorbed into modern human populations.
highlights_snippet.sent: These people arrival in southern Europe coincided with demise of the Neanderthals .
  