Berlin

Neanderthals, the extinct ancestors of human beings, were not only the first to hunt and butcher large predators like cave lions but also used their hides for cultural purposes and possibly clothing, a recent academic paper published in the journal Scientific Reports has said.

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The study examined the remains of two Eurasian cave lions discovered 34 years apart in Germany. 

One set of bones, nearly complete, was found in 1985 near Siegsdorf and dates back about 48,000 years. 

Also watch | New findings shed light on the social organisation of Neanderthals

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The other discovery, consisting of two toe bones and a tiny paw bone embedded in a disintegrated pelt, was found in 2019 in the Unicorn Cave in the Harz Mountains and is approximately 190,000 years old. 

These lions lived during a time when Neanderthals were the only human species in Europe. The Neanderthals predate the arrival of Homo sapiens by about 42,000 years.

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Why is this study significant?

The study challenges the long-debated question in zooarchaeology: Were early hominids hunters or the hunted? 

The findings from Siegsdorf provide the earliest concrete evidence that humans actively hunted formidable cave lions, the top predators of their time. 

This discovery reshapes our understanding of the capabilities of early human species and challenges previous notions about Neanderthals.

In the past, Neanderthals were often considered scavengers incapable of hunting. 

However, reevaluating the evidence has shown that their capabilities were more sophisticated. They are now thought to have had a complex language, engaged in some form of spirituality as seen through ritual burials, and were skilled hunters and gatherers.

The cave lion, larger than modern lions, got its name from its association with dens of cave bears, which were their prey. 

Until this study, there was no direct evidence of Neanderthals intentionally hunting large predators, especially apex predators like cave lions, which roamed widely across northern Eurasia and Alaska from 370,000 B.C. to 10,000 B.C.

(With inputs from agencies)

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