Clash of the Cavemen

It's an article of scientific faith that some 140,000 years ago our prehistoric ancestors split off into two completely different species: Cro Magnon and Neanderthal. This engaging History Channel documentary examines this important divide and its far-reaching consequences. Most intriguingly, Clash of the Cavemen raises a question that no one appears to be able to answer presently: namely, did the Neanderthals disappear because they could no longer survive in competition with the Cro Magnons, or did the latter kill off the former with superior weaponry and attack strategies? Using dramatic reenactments, the film presents numerous scenes of life among the two species, examining the sudden, rapid onset of advanced thinking and survival abilities in Cro Magnon after thousands of years of being roughly equal with Neanderthals (the development of language in Cro Magnon was mostly likely responsible for the change). The program also looks at whether Neanderthal and Cro Magnon intermingled, or even mated and produced mixed offspring, a thesis based on scant but persuasive DNA evidence from the fossil record. A fascinating dramatic tale of scientific detection, this dynamic documentary is highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (T. Keogh)