Yet another theory on what happened to the Neanderthals

From: Explorer8939 (Explorer8939_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 07/21/04 

Date: 20 Jul 2004 19:16:08 -0700

Assuming that homo sapiens/Neanderthal offspring were possible, but
not viable (as with mules), a small Neanderthal population coupled
with an equally small population of homo sapiens would likely lead to
a decrease in both populations. Possibly the European HS were rescued
from oblivion by the small numbers of immigrants from the south.

IMHO, the Neanderthal population was so disrupted by cross-breeding
with HS that this became self-re-inforcing, fewer potential mates
would drive NS to mating with HS, generating ever fewer viable members
of the next generation. With the latest HN fossils found at around
30,000 BC, its likely that the next Ice Age nadir at 22,000 BC
finished off the survivors.

Evidence for this theory would be a dip in the fossil record for HS
after 35,000 BC, but this could be accounted for by the worsening
climate.

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