-
The Invaders
- How Humans and Their Dogs Drove Neanderthals to Extinction
- Narrated by: Donna Postel
- Length: 7 hrs and 20 mins
- Categories: Home & Garden, Pets & Animal Care
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Audible Premium Plus
$14.95 a month
Buy for $19.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Neanderthals Rediscovered
- How Modern Science Is Rewriting Their Story (Revised and Updated Edition)
- By: Dimitra Papagianni, Michael A. Morse
- Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
- Length: 5 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In recent years, the common perception of the Neanderthals has been transformed, thanks to new discoveries and paradigm-shattering scientific innovations. It turns out that the Neanderthals' behavior was surprisingly modern: they buried the dead, cared for the sick, hunted large animals in their prime, harvested seafood, and communicated with spoken language. Meanwhile, advances in DNA technologies are compelling us to reassess the Neanderthals' place in our own past.
-
-
Up-to-date information. Comprehensive. Love it.
- By E. K. Gronek on 01-31-18
By: Dimitra Papagianni, and others
-
The Horse, the Wheel, and Language
- How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World
- By: David W. Anthony
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 18 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Roughly half the world's population speaks languages derived from a shared linguistic source known as Proto-Indo-European. But who were the early speakers of this ancient mother tongue, and how did they manage to spread it around the globe? The Horse, the Wheel, and Language solves a puzzle that has vexed scholars for two centuries and recovers a magnificent and influential civilization from the past.
-
-
Excellent
- By Anthony on 08-09-19
By: David W. Anthony
-
Kindred
- By: Rebecca Wragg Sykes
- Narrated by: Rebecca Wragg Sykes
- Length: 16 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Kindred, Neanderthal expert Becky Wragg Sykes shoves aside the cliché of the shivering ragged figure in an icy wasteland and reveals the Neanderthal you don’t know, who lived across vast and diverse tracts of Eurasia and survived through hundreds of thousands of years of massive climate change. Using a thematic rather than chronological approach, this book will shed new light on where they lived, what they ate and the increasingly complex Neanderthal culture that is being discovered.
-
-
awesome content
- By Anthony on 10-30-20
-
The Denisovans
- The History of the Extinct Archaic Humans Who Spread Across Asia During the Paleolithic Era
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Daniel Houle
- Length: 2 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As soon as man discovered writing, he began engaging in historiography (historical writing and philosophy), but paleoanthropology only really began in the late 1800s. As archaeologists began finding bones in European caves of a human race that was very different than any race in the modern world, the study of paleoanthropology was born. The race of those early humans who were found in the European caves were later termed Neanderthals, and for quite some time, they were believed to have been the race from which many modern humans were directly descended.
-
Domesticated
- Evolution in a Man-Made World
- By: Richard C. Francis
- Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin
- Length: 13 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Without our domesticated plants and animals, human civilization as we know it would not exist. We would still be living at subsistence level as hunter-gatherers if not for domestication. It is no accident that the cradle of civilization - the Middle East - is where sheep, goats, pigs, cattle, and cats commenced their fatefully intimate associations with humans.
-
-
Fantastic exploration of man and nature
- By Conor Cox on 09-10-15
-
Dinosaurs Rediscovered
- The Scientific Revolution in Paleontology
- By: Michael J. Benton
- Narrated by: Matthew Waterson
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Dinosaurs Rediscovered, leading paleontologist Michael J. Benton gathers together all the latest paleontological evidence, tracing the transformation of dinosaur study from its roots in antiquated natural history to an indisputably scientific field. Among other things, the book explores how dinosaur remains are found and excavated, and especially how paleontologists read the details of dinosaurs' lives from their fossils - their colors, their growth, and even whether we will ever be able to bring them back to life.
-
-
Great overview of advances in dinosaur paleo
- By Keegan on 03-28-20
-
The Neanderthals Rediscovered
- How Modern Science Is Rewriting Their Story (Revised and Updated Edition)
- By: Dimitra Papagianni, Michael A. Morse
- Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
- Length: 5 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In recent years, the common perception of the Neanderthals has been transformed, thanks to new discoveries and paradigm-shattering scientific innovations. It turns out that the Neanderthals' behavior was surprisingly modern: they buried the dead, cared for the sick, hunted large animals in their prime, harvested seafood, and communicated with spoken language. Meanwhile, advances in DNA technologies are compelling us to reassess the Neanderthals' place in our own past.
-
-
Up-to-date information. Comprehensive. Love it.
- By E. K. Gronek on 01-31-18
By: Dimitra Papagianni, and others
-
The Horse, the Wheel, and Language
- How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World
- By: David W. Anthony
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 18 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Roughly half the world's population speaks languages derived from a shared linguistic source known as Proto-Indo-European. But who were the early speakers of this ancient mother tongue, and how did they manage to spread it around the globe? The Horse, the Wheel, and Language solves a puzzle that has vexed scholars for two centuries and recovers a magnificent and influential civilization from the past.
-
-
Excellent
- By Anthony on 08-09-19
By: David W. Anthony
-
Kindred
- By: Rebecca Wragg Sykes
- Narrated by: Rebecca Wragg Sykes
- Length: 16 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Kindred, Neanderthal expert Becky Wragg Sykes shoves aside the cliché of the shivering ragged figure in an icy wasteland and reveals the Neanderthal you don’t know, who lived across vast and diverse tracts of Eurasia and survived through hundreds of thousands of years of massive climate change. Using a thematic rather than chronological approach, this book will shed new light on where they lived, what they ate and the increasingly complex Neanderthal culture that is being discovered.
-
-
awesome content
- By Anthony on 10-30-20
-
The Denisovans
- The History of the Extinct Archaic Humans Who Spread Across Asia During the Paleolithic Era
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Daniel Houle
- Length: 2 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As soon as man discovered writing, he began engaging in historiography (historical writing and philosophy), but paleoanthropology only really began in the late 1800s. As archaeologists began finding bones in European caves of a human race that was very different than any race in the modern world, the study of paleoanthropology was born. The race of those early humans who were found in the European caves were later termed Neanderthals, and for quite some time, they were believed to have been the race from which many modern humans were directly descended.
-
Domesticated
- Evolution in a Man-Made World
- By: Richard C. Francis
- Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin
- Length: 13 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Without our domesticated plants and animals, human civilization as we know it would not exist. We would still be living at subsistence level as hunter-gatherers if not for domestication. It is no accident that the cradle of civilization - the Middle East - is where sheep, goats, pigs, cattle, and cats commenced their fatefully intimate associations with humans.
-
-
Fantastic exploration of man and nature
- By Conor Cox on 09-10-15
-
Dinosaurs Rediscovered
- The Scientific Revolution in Paleontology
- By: Michael J. Benton
- Narrated by: Matthew Waterson
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Dinosaurs Rediscovered, leading paleontologist Michael J. Benton gathers together all the latest paleontological evidence, tracing the transformation of dinosaur study from its roots in antiquated natural history to an indisputably scientific field. Among other things, the book explores how dinosaur remains are found and excavated, and especially how paleontologists read the details of dinosaurs' lives from their fossils - their colors, their growth, and even whether we will ever be able to bring them back to life.
-
-
Great overview of advances in dinosaur paleo
- By Keegan on 03-28-20
-
Ancient Bones
- By: Madelaine Böhme, Rüdiger Braun, Florian Breier, and others
- Narrated by: Aimée Ayotte
- Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Somewhere west of Munich, Madelaine Böhme and her colleagues dig for clues to the origins of humankind. What they discover is beyond anything they imagined: the fossilized bones of Danuvius guggenmosi ignite a global media frenzy.
By: Madelaine Böhme, and others
-
The Genius of Dogs
- How Dogs Are Smarter than You Think
- By: Brian Hare, Vanessa Woods
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In their New York Times best-selling book The Genius of Dogs, husband-and-wife team Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods lay out landmark discoveries from the Duke Canine Cognition Center and other research facilities around the world to reveal how your dog thinks and how we humans can have even deeper relationships with our best four-legged friends.
-
-
Interesting view on social behaviorism
- By A. Solomon on 08-02-13
By: Brian Hare, and others
-
Cro-Magnon
- How the Ice Age Gave Birth to the First Modern Humans
- By: Brian Fagan
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Best-selling author Brian Fagan brings early humans out of the deep freeze with his trademark mix of erudition, cutting-edge science, and vivid storytelling. Cro-Magnon reveals human society in its infancy, facing enormous environmental challenges - including a rival species of humans, the Neanderthals. For ten millennia, Cro-Magnons lived side by side with Neanderthals, an encounter that Fagan fills with drama.
-
-
Interesting but speculative and repetitive
- By Thomas on 07-28-10
By: Brian Fagan
-
The Last Neanderthal
- A Novel
- By: Claire Cameron
- Narrated by: Lisa Stathoplos, Casey Turner
- Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Forty thousand years in the past, the last family of Neanderthals roams the earth. After a crushingly hard winter, their numbers are low, but Girl, the oldest daughter, is just coming of age, and her family is determined to travel to the annual meeting place and find her a mate. But the unforgiving landscape takes its toll, and Girl is left alone to care for Runt, a foundling of unknown origin. As Girl and Runt face the coming winter storms, Girl realizes she has one final chance to save her people, even if it means sacrificing part of herself.
-
-
The story is wonderful, the narration is HORRIBLE.
- By Traci on 04-30-17
By: Claire Cameron
-
Some Assembly Required
- Decoding Four Billion Years of Life, from Ancient Fossils to DNA
- By: Neil Shubin
- Narrated by: Marc Cashman
- Length: 7 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Over billions of years, ancient fish evolved to walk on land, reptiles transformed into birds that fly, and apelike primates evolved into humans that walk on two legs, talk, and write. For more than a century, paleontologists have traveled the globe to find fossils that show how such changes have happened. We have now arrived at a remarkable moment - prehistoric fossils coupled with new DNA technology have given us the tools to answer some of the basic questions of our existence: How do big changes in evolution happen?
-
-
Interesting but thin. ANNOYING narration
- By MSB on 04-10-20
By: Neil Shubin
-
Denisovan Origins
- Hybrid Humans, Göbekli Tepe, and the Genesis of the Giants of Ancient America
- By: Andrew Collins, Gregory L. Little
- Narrated by: Micah Hanks
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tracing the migrations of the Denisovans and their interbreeding with Neanderthals and early human populations in Asia, Europe, Australia, and the Americas, Andrew Collins and Greg Little explore how the new mental capabilities of the Denisovan-Neanderthal and Denisovan-human hybrids greatly accelerated the flowering of human civilization over 40,000 years ago. They show how the Denisovans displayed sophisticated advances, including precision-machined stone tools and jewelry, tailored clothing, celestially-aligned architecture, and horse domestication.
-
-
There are better sources to get real information
- By cfeagans on 09-06-19
By: Andrew Collins, and others
-
The Seven Daughters of Eve
- The Science That Reveals Our Genetic Ancestry
- By: Bryan Sykes
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1994 Professor Bryan Sykes, a leading world authority on DNA and human evolution, was called in to examine the frozen remains of a man trapped in glacial ice in northern Italy. News of both the Ice Man's discovery and his age, which was put at over 5,000 years, fascinated scientists and newspapers throughout the world. But what made Sykes's story particularly revelatory was his successful identification of a genetic descendant of the Ice Man, a woman living in Great Britain today. How was Sykes able to locate a living relative?
-
-
Fun read
- By Phoebe Grubbs on 04-13-18
By: Bryan Sykes
-
The Smart Neanderthal
- Bird Catching, Cave Art & The Cognitive Revolution
- By: Clive Finlayson
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since the late 1980s the dominant theory of human origins has been that a "cognitive revolution" (c. 50,000 years ago) led to the advent of our species, Homo sapiens. As a result of this revolution our species spread and eventually replaced all existing archaic Homo species, ultimately leading to the superiority of modern humans. Or so we thought. As Clive Finlayson explains, the latest advances in genetics prove that there was significant interbreeding between modern humans and the Neanderthals.
-
-
Birds, birds and more birds
- By Pamela on 01-05-20
By: Clive Finlayson
-
How the Earth Works
- By: Michael E. Wysession, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Michael E. Wysession
- Length: 24 hrs and 31 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How the Earth Works takes you on an astonishing journey through time and space. In 48 lectures, you will look at what went into making our planet - from the big bang, to the formation of the solar system, to the subsequent evolution of Earth.
-
-
Excellent course
- By Doug B. on 05-23-19
By: Michael E. Wysession, and others
-
Life on Earth
- By: David Attenborough
- Narrated by: David Attenborough
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the book’s first publication, David Attenborough has revisited Life on Earth, completely updating and adding to the original text, taking account of modern scientific discoveries from around the globe....
-
-
100% Pure Attenborough
- By Dave on 09-25-18
-
How the Dog Became the Dog
- From Wolves to Our Best Friends
- By: Mark Derr
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
That the dog evolved from the wolf is an accepted fact of evolution and history, but the question of how wolf became dog has remained a mystery, obscured by myth and legend. How the Dog Became the Dog posits that dog was an evolutionary inevitability in the nature of the wolf and its human soul mate. The natural temperament and social structure of humans and wolves are so similar that as soon as they met on the trail they recognized themselves in each other.
-
-
Interesting and thorough, but not for everyone
- By N. Rogers on 12-12-11
By: Mark Derr
-
First Peoples in a New World
- Colonizing Ice Age America
- By: David J. Meltzer
- Narrated by: Christopher Prince
- Length: 11 hrs
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
More than 12,000 years ago, in one of the greatest triumphs of prehistory, humans colonized North America, a continent that was then truly a new world. Just when and how they did so has been one of the most perplexing and controversial questions in archaeology.
-
-
First Peoples - Fantastic
- By Marc on 10-30-11
By: David J. Meltzer
Publisher's Summary
Approximately 200,000 years ago, as modern humans began to radiate out from their evolutionary birthplace in Africa, Neanderthals were already thriving in Europe - descendants of a much earlier migration of the African genus Homo. But when modern humans eventually made their way to Europe 45,000 years ago, Neanderthals suddenly vanished. Ever since the first Neanderthal bones were identified in 1856, scientists have been vexed by the question: Why did modern humans survive while their evolutionary cousins went extinct?
The Invaders musters compelling evidence to show that the major factor in the Neanderthals' demise was direct competition with newly arriving humans. Drawing on insights from the field of invasion biology, Pat Shipman traces the devastating impact of a growing human population: reduction of Neanderthals' geographic range, isolation into small groups, and loss of genetic diversity. But modern humans were not the only invaders who competed with Neanderthals for big game. Shipman reveals fascinating confirmation of humans' partnership with the first domesticated wolf-dogs soon after Neanderthals first began to disappear. This alliance between two predator species, she hypothesizes, made possible an unprecedented degree of success in hunting large Ice Age mammals - a distinct and ultimately decisive advantage for humans over Neanderthals at a time when climate change made both groups vulnerable.
More from the same
What listeners say about The Invaders
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- G. Spence
- 01-19-17
Great book. Poor choice of narrator
This is a scientifically rigorous book that thoroughly and carefully lays out the author's hypothesis about how anatomically modern humans replaced Neanderthals in Europe. Whether or not I agree with the author, it's refreshing to see true scientific thinking and writing. People should read it just to see what real science is like. The subject is fascinating.
The narrator, however, is scientifically illiterate. It's funny to hear her mispronouncing any word that's at all sciency. "Die Adam" for diatom is one example. The author's wild inflections are incongruous with the reasoned steady tone of the author's text. Somewhat distracting, but not enough that I wouldn't recommend the book.
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tisa Garrison
- 07-01-15
This is Popular Science -- No Dramatic Rendering Necessary
When the information in a book is compelling, I find it VERY distracting for the reader, especially a female reader, to do an oral-interpretation-of-literature, over-enunciated, dramatic reading..now whispering confidentially...now almost giggling, now edging on mock-sarcasm...YUCK -- this only distracts from the content of a good scientific tome. The reader makes "the reader" the point, not the information. I could "hear" her smiling as she read. I imagined sitting around the reading rug in the 1st grade with her flipping the book around to show us the pretty pictures. STOP IT. By the time the reader got to the really dry review-of-literature stuff, she'd turned off the "charm" and turned me off, as well.
18 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lanceshield
- 12-27-16
Incredible Application of Scientific Research!
Taking volumes of research data and summaries, converting it into information that lay people not only can understand but can link together is exactly what I wanted.
Now, what was a coloring book of lots of currently discovered facts about Neanderthals has turned into a nearly 3D motion picture of Neanderthal and human history between 20,000 and 50,000 years ago. And I'm not talking about a Hollywood film full of literary license.
Not everything is known and some speculation on possibilities may prove to be incorrect, but, there is enough agreement between many researched facts that an understanding from this book is probably as accurate as you will get from a quick study of the Middle Ages in Europe, or the indigenous people of America during the 19th century.
An excellent accounting of how Eurasia transitioned from Neanderthal to Early Modern Human ownership - "the invasion and non-combative conquest". And, it's a multi-causal extinction of our cousins, but oh-so human behaviour driven.
And, I'd say both we and our cousins were just as intelligent as the humans who finally figured out how to transition from stone to metal tools and implements. Advancements just take time. Time ran out for the Neanderthals when Homo Saps moved into the neighborhood with bad timing.
Highly recommend both the book and audio, listening to the audio first.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Russell L. Losco
- 07-24-15
Ever wonder why we outlived the Neanderthals?
If you could sum up The Invaders in three words, what would they be?
Intriguing, enlightening and fascinating
What did you like best about this story?
This gives an excellent explanation of why the Neanderthals disappeared and why modern humans now run the world. I will never look at my dog the same again.
What about Donna Postel’s performance did you like?
Very well spoken.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- sazzy
- 12-01-15
More Research Essay, Less Historical Narrative
This book was not what I expected. It was a well researched series of technical papers that discuss the research of many leaders in the field of anthropology and archeology. The fascinating information is presented in topical chapters. I recommend listening to this in an environment that allows for strict attention, rather than while multitasking.
My primary critique of the writing is the sense that the author is continuously apologizing for refuting the conclusions of others. This made it difficult to focus on her arguments and assertions.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Brooks Rainey Pearson
- 04-17-19
Theory’s at the end
The hypothesis is interesting and seems to have merit based on the author’s solid case-building. But given how prominent dogs are in the title, it’s a little odd that they don’t come up until the last 1/8th of the book. Really well done overall.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- E. K. Gronek
- 01-25-19
I learned a lot about wolves, dogs and bears.
I really wanted to know more about Neanderthals specifically. The book had a lot of filler.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- W Brock Sauls
- 09-25-18
Very well written
Thoughts, theories and concepts were conveyed very well. Not overly academic in its tone, so even specific scientific information was integrated into overall understandable enthralling read. Definitely recommend
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ronald
- 05-27-17
Excellent Material Good Presentation
Before purchasing this book, or any other for that matter, I like to read the reviews that others have left regarding their listening experience. I was concerned that several reviews were critical of the readers presentation sytle. I am very glad that I chose this book in spite of the negative reviews. I found the material very interesting. I found the readers voice and style very pleasant. I personally recommend this book to anyone with an interest in this kind of material.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Daniel
- 12-07-16
Excellent Science, but not a very exciting read
I understand this is a a science based presentation of the title concept. I didn't realize it was quite as dry a presentation as it ended up being, though. Lots of background on various types of invasive species, the limits of radio carbon dating, extensive details on specific bones at specific sites. If you have a strong interest in the science of archeology (more than the conclusions), this is a good thing. If your interest is more in the speculative theories of the title subject, you might be disappointed. You go through half the book before dogs are even mentioned, and the assertion in the subtitle of the book is only really discussed in an integrated fashion in the last 30 minutes.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 05-22-19
Brilliant!
Fantastically interesting book, very in-depth and detailed while not being confusing for unscientific types. I disagree with the negative narrator comments...I found her engaging and enjoyable to listen to. Her somewhat chatty style keeps you interested, suits the tone and occasional humour and is much better than someone droning on in a monotone.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Anonymous User
- 06-06-19
Fantastic story of our origins
The story of how humans spread from Africa and interacted with our cousins the Neanderthals in Europe has always fascinated me. This book illustrates very well the means and ways we arrived where we are today, with interesting scientific research and data.