The discovery suggests that cultures may have mixed during this time.
Tsenka Tsanova /
A handful of fossils and tools found in a Bulgarian cave suggest that modern humans were present in Europe some 46,000 years ago – and likely interacted with Neanderthals longer than previously thought.
After two studies, published in nature and Natural ecology & evolution This week, the discovery of early modern human remains in southeastern Europe is the oldest evidence of Homo sapiens in the region from what was known as the early Upper Paleolithic. In addition, there are a number of unique stone tools on site that have both Homo sapiens and Neanderthal toolmaking features, suggesting that cultures may have mixed during this time.
The discovery, which was in the Bacho-Kiro cave in Bulgaria, consisted of remains such as bones and a single tooth, as well as ornaments, including a pendant made of bear teeth. The cave has a certain importance, since archaeological finds of Homo sapiens were found in its walls, which go back to the 1970s.
Morphological analysis of the remains and sequencing of the hardy mitochondrial DNA and protein from bone fragments show that they belonged to a group of Homo sapiens that probably found their home in the cave 42,000 to 45,000 years ago. Radiocarbon dating analysis puts this age at around 46,000 years. It is believed that Neanderthals lived until about 40,000 years ago.
While this is of tremendous importance in identifying the age of modern humans, it is equally important to consider the meaning of the ornaments contained in the find and how homo sapiens toolmaking may have been adopted by another species.
These ornaments provide additional evidence for the theory that Homo sapiens crossed with the last Neanderthal man who used similar tools and pendants and may have influenced parts of his culture. Previous evidence has also shown that the two species mate – and modern humans share some Neanderthal DNA, so scientists are aware of species overlap. The fossil record increases the time the two are likely to mix and the ability for them to exchange memes.
And we’re not talking about funny pictures of a cat here – we’re talking about memes in the traditional definition first described by Richard Dawkins: cultural elements or behaviors that have been passed down from generation to generation.
The exact chronological gap between the arrival of Homo sapiens and the decline of the Neanderthals has yet to be determined, but the evidence suggests that the two species were likely to have shared cultural ideas – if you will, memes – longer than scientists had previously assumed .