Neanderthals were a group of ancient humans who lived during Earth's Paleolithic Age.
Compared with the modern Homo sapiens who ruled Earth, they possessed sturdier physiques, stronger jaws, and even larger brain capacities—truly accomplished in both letters and arms.
At the same time, Neanderthals had mastered the skills of building camps and polishing tools.
By all rights, they should have been invincible during the Paleolithic Age.
Yet after being active on Earth for tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of years, they mysteriously vanished.
They left behind only 1% to 4% of their genes in the gene pool of modern Earthlings, proof that they had once been here.
According to the speculations of archaeologists and anthropologists, although Neanderthals were stronger and smarter than modern Homo sapiens, they had two fatal flaws.
For some reason, their linguistic abilities and imagination were inherently less developed than those of modern Homo sapiens.
Their lack of linguistic communication made it difficult for them to expand their populations. They could not carry out large-scale cooperation among hundreds or thousands of individuals to hunt large animals such as rhinoceroses, hippos, and mammoths, thereby obtaining more nutrients.
Without imagination, they lacked the desire to explore and conquer the entire world beyond their understanding. Nor could they imagine strangers beyond the range of kinship and sight as their own brethren, and thus build a tribe, a nation, or even a civilization.
Such flaws caused them to be beaten until they were scattered like fallen blossoms and flowing water in the brutal contest of survival by modern Homo sapiens, who were weaker but united, driven, and eager for knowledge. They even became food on the latter's plates before ultimately going extinct.
But that was merely the speculation of Earth scientists who were themselves modern Homo sapiens.
The linguistic