imply extinguish the Neanderthals, as many researchers had come to think. Instead the two kinds of human were so alike that in Portugal, at least, they intermingled…for thousands of years." (Kunzig, 1999) By examining the theories of human evolution,

the middle to upper Palaeolithic surrounds whether or not the transition was gradual or sudden. Evidence of burials within Neanderthal populations indicates that such cultural indicators were derived from those populations by other successive modern populations. The remains discovered by Duarte et al at Abrigo do Lagar Velho in Portugal "present a mosaic of European early modern human and Neanderthal features" according to Erik Trinkaus (1999). It is this blending of features that implies interbreeding between the two. It could be that the replacement model is somewhat supported in that it was the hybrid which gradually replaced pure Neanderthals, or that the regional model is somewhat supported in that the Neanderthals, or rather their descendants, indeed became fully modern. The translation of this evidence depends on who is looking at it, and what view they support in the first place. This brings up the issue of bias in the field and indicates that the study by its nature c!

annot be exact and is certainly open to interpretation. It is apparent that there can be noconsensus as yet to the fate of the Neanderthals. Arguments on both sides can be quite compelling, but perhaps the most compelling is that of the third hypothesis, the middle ground, being that there needs to be further investigation into the possibility of hybridization between Neanderthal and Modern populations. Erik Trinkaus, staking his reputation on the claim, has lent his support to this hypothesis: "If you have two populations of hunter-gatherers that are totally different species, that are doing things in very different ways, have different capabilities--they're not going to blend together," Trinkaus says. "They're going to remain separate. So the implication from Portugal is that when these people met, they viewed each other as people. One group may have looked a little funny to the other one--but beyond that they saw each other as human beings. And treated each other as such." !

Asia contributed to the modern gene pool. Studies of the Y-chromosome by M.F. Hammer, indicate migrations back and forth into Africa. (Harris and Hey 1999:84) In a nutshell, the technological differences between Neanderthal middle Palaeolithic technology and the Modern upper Palaeolithic technology can be narrowed down to flake and blade technologies. The transition between the two can be viewed again as either gradual or sudden. Some middle Palaeolithic tools in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, regardless of the hominids associated with them can show a variety of technologies. Certainly, at about 30 000 years ago, there was a shift in technologies to include art and personal adornment along with the finer micro-blade technologies. However, it is debatable as to whether these features were practiced by preceding Neanderthals or whether these innovations were brought into Europe by Moderns who would replace them. (Thorne and Wolpoff:1992) The question of the transition from !

ics and the pattern of human evolution: Plausible and implausible models. In P. Mellars and C. Stringer, editors, The Human Revolution.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Modern Humans, Middle East, Erik Trinkaus, Neander Valley, Trinkaus They're, Neanderthals Europe, Neanderthals Firstly, Lagar Velho, University Press, Thorne Wolpoff1992, modern humans, press pp, human evolution, modern human, university press pp, university press, erik trinkaus, middle east, upper palaeolithic, abrigo lagar, modern populations, abrigo lagar velho, erik trinkaus editor, editor emergence modern, national academy sciences,
Approximate Word count = 2081
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)