To survive the harsh winters, Neanderthals hibernate. This hypothesis was put forward by scientists after analyzing the bones found in an ancient mass grave in northern Spain. Their work was published in the journal L’Antropologie.
The age of the remains was estimated at 400 thousand years. The scientists noted that the growth of the found bones was interrupted every year for several months. This is similar to the structure of the bones of animals that hibernate for the winter, such as cave bears.
According to the researchers, the vicinity of the Cima de los Huesos cave could not provide the ancient people with enough fatty food to survive in the cold. Scientists concluded that hibernation was the only way for humans to survive.
Earlier, scientists from the University of Bologna in Italy refuted the version according to which the Neanderthals disappeared due to climate change. It turned out that climate changes 42-45 thousand years ago, when Neanderthals lived on the Murga plateau and coexisted with Homo sapiens, were insignificant and there were no strong and prolonged droughts.