April
17
/ 2025
Newly published research suggests that prehistoric Homo sapiens developed innovative ways to protect themselves from increased ultraviolet (UV) radiation during periods of extreme instability in Earth’s magnetic field, while their close cousins the Neanderthals did not. While this may not have been the only reason why Neanderthals went extinct, it might very well have been the most decisive cause of their decline. These environmental shifts, known as geomagnetic excursions (or more popularly as pole shifts), happen when Earth’s magnetic poles wander from their usual positions due to changes in the planet’s liquid outer core, and they have happened at different times throughout history. One notable event, the Laschamps excursion, occurred around 40,000 to 42,000 years ago. During this time, Earth’s
