Elizabeth Thompson, age 11, of Atlanta, Ga., for her question:
WHAT CAUSED THE NEANDERTHAL MAN TO DISAPPEAR?
Scientists are able to learn a lot about prehistoric man by studying primitive peoples of today. On some of the islands of the South Pacific Ocean today live people much astheir prehistoric ancestors did. But they learn most aboutearly man by studying fossils and other remains of prehistoric times. Archaeologists, botanists and zoologists all help in the study of prehistoric man.
The Neanderthal man was a type of prehistoric man who lived in parts of Asia, Africa and Europe from about 35,000 to 100,000 years ago. Scientists classify him as an early sub species of Homo sapiens, which means wise man.
The word Neanderthal comes from the Neander Gorge near Dusseldorf, Germany. It was here that the top of a human skull was found in 1856. It was the first Neanderthal fossil found. Since then, similar fossils have been found in more than 40 other locations.
Scientists say the Neanderthal man stood a bit more than five feet tall and was heavily built. His brain was as large as that of modern man. He fished and hunted birds and such animals as bison. He also made tools. Many Neanderthal people buried their dead with great care.
Modern man slowly evolved and the Neanderthal man slowly disappeared from earth.
Some peoples who lived before or during the time of Neanderthal man looked more like modern man than did the Neanderthalers. Some of these peoples lived in Africa and southwestern Asia as early as 730,000 B.C. They had lighter builds, smaller faces and longer arms and legs. Fossils of these more modern looking men have been found in several places.
We do not know how the Neanderthalers and the modern¬looking older peoples are related.
Modern man developed about 35,000 B.C. Many human fossils have been found dating from that time and later. All these fossils indicate that the people differed little from the various peoples of today. Scientists classify modern man as Homo sapiens sapiens, a sub species of Homo sapiens.
The best known early form of modern man is Cro Magnon man. The Cro Magnons lived in northern Africa, western and central Asia and southern Europe. They stood about five feet six inches tall and resembled present day Scandinavians. Like Neanderthal man, the first modern man also made tools, fished and hunted birds and large game.
Archaeologists discover some objects from prehistoric times by searching places they believe will produce finds. But most fossils are discovered by accident.
Digging for fossils is a long, slow process. Workers must be careful not to overlook or damage fossils or other objects in the ground. In addition, detailed diagrams showing exact locations of each object uncovered at the site must be made.