TY - BOOK ID - 2594928 TI - The Neanderthal legacy PY - 1996 SN - 0691034931 9780691034935 0691167982 140084360X 9781400843602 9780691167985 PB - Princeton, N.J. Princeton University Press DB - UniCat KW - Behavior evolution KW - Human evolution KW - Neanderthals KW - Paleolithic period KW - Philosophy. KW - Europe KW - Antiquities. KW - Homo mousteriensis KW - Homo neanderthalensis KW - Homo primogenicus KW - Homo sapiens neanderthalensis KW - Neandertalers KW - Neandertals KW - Neanderthal race KW - Neanderthalers KW - Behavioral evolution KW - Fossil hominids KW - Evolutionary psychology KW - Evolution (Biology) KW - Physical anthropology KW - Human beings KW - Origin KW - Philosophy KW - Antiquities KW - Neanderthals - Europe. KW - Human evolution - Europe - Philosophy. KW - Behavior evolution - Europe. UR - https://www.unicat.be/uniCat?func=search&query=sysid:2594928 AB - The Neanderthals populated western Europe from nearly 250,000 to 30,000 years ago when they disappeared from the archaeological record. In turn, populations of anatomically modern humans, Homo sapiens, came to dominate the area. Seeking to understand the nature of this replacement, which has become a hotly debated issue, Paul Mellars brings together an unprecedented amount of information on the behavior of Neanderthals. His comprehensive overview ranges from the evidence of tool manufacture and related patterns of lithic technology, through the issues of subsistence and settlement patterns, to the more controversial evidence for social organization, cognition, and intelligence. Mellars argues that previous attempts to characterize Neanderthal behavior as either "modern" or "ape-like" are both overstatements. We can better comprehend the replacement of Neanderthals, he maintains, by concentrating on the social and demographic structure of Neanderthal populations and on their specific adaptations to the harsh ecological conditions of the last glaciation. Mellars's approach to these issues is grounded firmly in his archaeological evidence. He illustrates the implications of these findings by drawing from the methods of comparative socioecology, primate studies, and Pleistocene paleoecology. The book provides a detailed review of the climatic and environmental background to Neanderthal occupation in Europe, and of the currently topical issues of the behavioral and biological transition from Neanderthal to fully "modern" populations. ER -