The Smart Neanderthal

Bird Catching, Cave Art & The Cognitive Revolution

By: Clive Finlayson

Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart

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. All non-Africans today carry some Neanderthal genes. We have also discovered aspects of Neanderthal behavior that indicate that they were not cognitively inferior to modern humans, as we once thought, and in fact had their own rituals and art. Finlayson, who is at the forefront of this research, recounts the discoveries of his team, providing evidence that Neanderthals caught birds of prey and used their feathers for symbolic purposes. There is also evidence that Neanderthals practiced other forms of art, as the recently discovered engravings in Gorham's Cave Gibraltar indicate.

Linking all the recent evidence, The Smart Neanderthal casts a new light on the Neanderthals and the "Cognitive Revolution". Finlayson overturns classic narratives of human origins and raises important questions about who we really are.

©2019 Clive Finlayson (P)2019 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Neanderthals and birds? Or birds and Neanderthals?

While an explanation of birds is relevant to the title, what amounts to detailed, droning ornithological subtexts had me on the verge of tuning out a number of times.
I will say, though, that the narration is soothing and lends itself well to bedtime audio listening.

Birds, birds and more birds

If you're interested in ancient birds, this is for you. I was hoping for more and the Neanderthal and found myself tuning out.