The Invaders

How Humans and Their Dogs Drove Neanderthals to Extinction

By: Pat Shipman

Narrated by: Donna Postel

Approximately 200,000 years ago, as modern humans began to radiate out from their evolutionary birthplace in Africa, Neanderthals were already thriving in Europe - descendants of a much earlier migration of the African genus Homo. But when modern humans eventually made their way to Europe 45,000 years ago, Neanderthals suddenly vanished. Ever since the first Neanderthal bones were identified in 1856, scientists have been vexed by the question: Why did modern humans survive while their evolutionary cousins went extinct?

The Invaders musters compelling evidence to show that the major factor in the Neanderthals' demise was direct competition with newly arriving humans. Drawing on insights from the field of invasion biology, Pat Shipman traces the devastating impact of a growing human population: reduction of Neanderthals' geographic range, isolation into small groups, and loss of genetic diversity. But modern humans were not the only invaders who competed with Neanderthals for big game. Shipman reveals fascinating confirmation of humans' partnership with the first domesticated wolf-dogs soon after Neanderthals first began to disappear. This alliance between two predator species, she hypothesizes, made possible an unprecedented degree of success in hunting large Ice Age mammals - a distinct and ultimately decisive advantage for humans over Neanderthals at a time when climate change made both groups vulnerable.

©2015 Pat Shipman (P)2015 Tantor

Ever wonder why we outlived the Neanderthals?

If you could sum up The Invaders in three words, what would they be?

Intriguing, enlightening and fascinating

What did you like best about this story?

This gives an excellent explanation of why the Neanderthals disappeared and why modern humans now run the world. I will never look at my dog the same again.

What about Donna Postel’s performance did you like?

Very well spoken.

Lots of Neanderthals and Humans, Dogs Not So Much

This is a good book. It's full of facts on Neanderthals, Early Modern Humans, predators and prey and invasive species. I picked up this book hoping for more info on the domestication of dogs and early dog/human interaction. Shipman brings the dogs into the narrative in the last ~25% of the book. She has interesting and well reasoned and researched hypothesizes but unprovable at this point in time. Shipman freely admits this and is hopeful that evidence will be unearthed in the future,

All in all, a good read, just not enough info on early dogs

Good Read

Shipman's book is well written and interesting. There is some speculation in the argument, but the point is well made.
Enjoy.

Entertaining learning - deeper view in human evolution

The most enjoyable and interesting aspects of this book for me were the differences between modern humans and Neanderthals, including energetics and canine co-evolution.

Thank you !

An excellent hypothesis on the end of the Neanderthals

Loved how Pat Shipman draws from different strands (classic paleontology, climate science, trophic cascades, animal domestication, genetic science, evolutionary biology, etc.) to develop her original hypothesis behind the disappearance of the Neanderthals. And it's precisely what I came for. But this is very much a book about the 'science'. If you're expecting a spellbinding historical non-fiction this may not be form you.