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Bunnies implicated in Neanderthals demise


Still Waters

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BLAME it on the bunnies. The debate over what Neanderthals ate, and how it may have led to their demise, has turned to rabbits. Which, it is now claimed, Neanderthals did not feast on.

Signs that our extinct cousins hunted dolphins and seals were presented in 2008 as evidence of their sophistication. But, experts claimed in 2009, they weren't clever enough to catch fish or birds – which could have given our ancestors an edge. Then came the discovery of fish scales and feathers on Neanderthal tools.

Now, John Fa of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in Trinity, Jersey, says Neanderthals eventually bit the dust because they were unable to adapt their hunting to small animals like rabbits.

http://www.newscient...anderthals.html

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So, that is why they were Hare one day, gone the next.

:)

Edited by Eldorado
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The idea that not capturing and consuming bunny meat, causing the extintion of a human species, seems rediculous.

I'm not buying this story at all. Dang undergrads anyway.

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So they couldn't hunt small game like rabbits... but they ate fish and birds.... hmmmm... somethings not right here....

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I doubt it has to do less about catching them and more about what they did after they caught them. Aren't a lot of the flying bird species and a whole bunch of fish considered pets?

I wouldn't be surprised if they thought more versions of animals as pets instead of food.

Imagine chicken was are only food source and we all started raising them ourselves, how many people would actually kill and eat the chickens they raised? Not many.

We all know how some people would turn to eating other people before they ate their pets. Considering we do have a bit of the same genetic code after all?

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I always knew those Playboy Bunnies were up to no good.

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Erm... I'm fairly sure they have found evidence that neaderthals ate fish such as salmon. Heck, when they're migrating upstream, they're easy to catch by hand in the shallows. The idea they would not be eating fish is frankly stupid.

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I can't believe this, I bet they caught all kinds of small animals including bunnies. Bet they couldn't run that fast in those heels anyway.

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507985.jpg

Well, those Saber-toothed Wabbits were pretty clever.

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I doubt it has to do less about catching them and more about what they did after they caught them. Aren't a lot of the flying bird species and a whole bunch of fish considered pets?

I wouldn't be surprised if they thought more versions of animals as pets instead of food.

Imagine chicken was are only food source and we all started raising them ourselves, how many people would actually kill and eat the chickens they raised? Not many.

We all know how some people would turn to eating other people before they ate their pets. Considering we do have a bit of the same genetic code after all?

I'm not sure if Neanderthals kept any pets at all... I don't recall ever reading about any signs of dog domestication among them - though I could have missed it... And dogs are a lot more likely to have been domesticated than birds... Other than hawks and falcons used as hunters, (which seems to require a lot more sophistication than I think the Neanders had) birds weren't really useful except as food (and their feathers as ornamentation)... And if they did use hunting birds... the birds main prey would have been other birds and..... rabbits...

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More like PETA less like a regular people. As in people who like to bird watch, then get p***ed; if they hear about somebody blasting away the poor innocent turkey. That type of relationship between humans and animals, which also takes in to consideration the lack of signs for domesticating animals. Actually loving an animal, not capturing them to just use as a tool, I consider a pet.

Edited by Jinxdom
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Neanderthals were smart people they would have come up with a good plan to hunt down rabbits believe it. They are still with us live with it.

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Seriously, if a human has the power to make clothes of animal skins, to make fire, to catch creatures in a different element (fish), and creatures that fly (birds) why would anyone think that they could not catch, kill and eat rabbits. Humans are opportunist and they will exploit a potential food source. Just because we haven't yet found rabbit fur on a Neanderthal spear tip doesn't mean too much.

Oh and it is unlike they keep "bunnies" as pets. You might keep a dog for garbage cleanup, for warning, protection and for hunting, but if you are a hunter-gatherer type situation you likely do not have time for something that is purely a pet.

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I always thought the neanderthals kept on the move always roaming around europe slowly interbreeding with the populace over centuries,and they are still with us today and we call them gypsies. B)

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Doesn't matter how clever you are at catching something if you think anything with fur or feathers are too cute to kill. You might just die of starvation; if the climate is crap and your neighbors are crazy. :P

Edited by Jinxdom
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Neanderthal brains are thought to have been as large, or larger, as that of humans and they were stronger. So, I question the hypothesis regarding hunting skills and adaptability to dealing with small game animals. Perhaps a more likely cause for the demise of Neanderthals was related to disease brought upon by the migrating humans. Certainly there are parallels that occurred in more recent history when Europeans decimated native populations with diseases for which they held no immunity.

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Rabbits pwned Neanderthals...

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i don't believe that.hunting animals in my opinion is wrong and this goes to to hunters who enjoy this as a sport.put yourself in their situation.how would you like people hunting you as a sport?i bet and most likely would say and think i don't like that especially for their entertainment and ours.all life is precious and valueble.let nature decide that and handle that nature knows what she is doing!!!humans can help and its not by killing animals for our entainment or consumptions i know for a fact.that's just really disgusting and if you people had a heart and conscious you would know that.i seen one time when they kill pigs in mexico to eat and by stabbing the animal in the heart and the pig is sqealing and running around in pain and agonizing not a pretty sight or sound and i feel bad for that pig.also blood coming out

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Um, what about population control? And as a food source? Because that's why we hunt in my family. My stepfather is big into wildlife management, and I'd much rather have fresh deer than the pink slime crap you get at the supermarket. If you think it's solely for ~killing the innocent animals for entertainment~, seriously check up on WMAs and the stats on people who feed their families like that.

And I say that as a person who has a pet rabbit.

Edited by draugr
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I call this bull yes they did hunt rabbits..

Me too. They had plenty of cardboard boxes and string back in the day!

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The main reason I think I don't often eat rabbit meat is that I never see it at the stores, although I know a few farmers who raise them for the meat. I guess the economics of the business just doesn't pay.

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The main reason I think I don't often eat rabbit meat is that I never see it at the stores, although I know a few farmers who raise them for the meat. I guess the economics of the business just doesn't pay.

Actually the economics aren't that bad, and rabbit meat is surprisingly good... They breed very quickly, have large litters and their feed is no more expensive than cattle feed and they don't eat as much... The problems with it are each rabbit pretty much needs it's own area, they can dig out so the area needs to be escape proof, and the public isn't use to seeing rabbit meat on the menu - so the market is small...

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