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by havelhovel 1194 days ago
The author of that article is a professor of archaeology who seems to hedge their language throughout. What speculative claims are presented as fact?
1 comments

> What speculative claims are presented as fact?

Specifically these:

> Neanderthals were more inclined to stay in their family groups and were warier of new people.

In the absence of living Neanderthals to study or written records describing them, I don't see how what's stated there about their thoughts and mental attitudes could be known at all, let alone with such certainty.

Archeological evidence might be able to say they tended stay in their family group, but it seems like a speculative leap to say they did so for particular subtle psychological reasons.

> ...given that they were genetically disposed to being less friendly to those beyond their immediate family.

I'm no expert on genetics, but I'm skeptical any kind of existing genetic analysis could give that kind of behavioral detail.