From the foothills of the southern Pyrenees in Spain, fascinating new evidence has emerged of Neanderthal behavior, once again reaffirming that these ancient humans were far more adaptable and clever than we once thought. The evidence points to Neanderthals knowing the best ways to exploit the territory and resilience through harsh climatic conditions. A rock shelter located here known as Abric Pizarro, a rare Neanderthal hangout, has revealed clues that offer some understanding of what led to the eventual downfall of the Neanderthals. Pre-Homo Sapiens: Before Everything Changed Forever The Abric Pizarro rock shelter dated back to the marine isotope stage 4 (MIS 4) period, which stretched from about 100,000 to 65,000 years ago. This was long before our own species showed up on the scene in the Iberian Peninsula during MIS 3, a time when Neanderthals were still holding strong—until Homo sapiens arrived, changing everything for them. Imagine this: before Homo sapiens even set foot in Western Europe, Neanderthals were ruling the roost, thriving in places we once believed were too harsh for them, according to this new study published in The Journal of Archaeological Science. Read moreSection: NewsEvolution & Human OriginsRead Later