We have all heard the account of how our clever ancestors spread From Africa and ousted the primitive Neanderthals, driving them to extinction. But was that really how it happened? Clive Finlayson presents an altogether more humbling view: there is nothing to suggest that our ancestors were inherently smarter than the Neanderthals. We should think of the two as different kinds of human. Drawing on evidence not only from fossils and genes, but also from the many clues about lifestyle from plant and animal remains, he underlines the interweaving of climate, ecology, geography, and lifestyle in the fortunes of populations. What emerges is no simple linear rise to conquest and dominance by one superior species. Instead, we find a complex tale of shifting patterns of settlement and migration, of new skills learnt and lost, as groups of humans of initially quite similar abilities sought out a living in changing mosaics of vegetation and wildlife. Chance, climate, and geography favoured a sturdy group of our ancestors who had honed their skills in the harsh, persistent Asian steppes. -- From the publisher.

Prologue : When climate changed the course of history -- The road to extinction is paved with good intentions -- Once we were not alone -- Failed experiments -- Stick to what you know best -- Being in the right place at the right time -- If only . . . -- Africa in Europe - a Mediterranean serengeti -- One small step for man . . . -- Forever opportunists -- The pawn turned player -- Epilogue : Children of chance.