Did Neanderthals sing opera ?

According to British archaeologist Steven Mithen, Neanderthals used music to help them communicate.

Mithen, who has written a book on the topic called "The Singing Neanderthals", maintains that music, song and dance were all valid forms of early communication. While the idea may seem controversial, it is certainly not outside the realm of possibility that pre-linguistic communication would have involved the use of different sounds and body movements.

"The musicality of the Neanderthals can be identified more with opera than with rap because in addition to music, these hominids also used dance and body language as forms of communication," said Mithen. "Modern human beings used language, which was a more efficient form of communication, and they could also invent better technology, while the Neanderthals were gradually pushed out toward extinction."


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