by kentannton » Mon Apr 21, 2025 6:05 pm
About 41,000 years ago, Earth’s magnetic field experienced a major disruption known as the Laschamps excursion, a geomagnetic event that weakened the planet’s protective shield and exposed the surface to increased solar and cosmic radiation. A new study led by researchers at the University of Michigan suggests that early
Homo sapiens may have survived this period—thanks to innovative adaptations like tailored clothing, cave sheltering, and even a primitive form of sunscreen.
Published in
Science Advances, the research combines anthropological data with advanced space weather modeling to show how environmental changes during this magnetic shift may have affected human evolution. The team found that while
Homo sapiens adopted strategies to mitigate the harmful effects of heightened ultraviolet radiation, Neanderthals—who lacked similar innovations—vanished from the archaeological record around the same time.
“This was a period when Earth’s magnetic field dropped to just 10% of its current strength, allowing charged solar particles to penetrate deeper into the atmosphere and trigger auroras across the globe,” said Agnit Mukhopadhyay, lead author of the study and a research affiliate at U-M’s Department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering.
Using the Space Weather Modeling Framework developed at U-M, Mukhopadhyay built a 3D simulation of Earth's magnetosphere during the Laschamps excursion. By integrating models of geomagnetic activity, solar plasma interactions, and auroral distribution, the researchers reconstructed how solar radiation would have reached Earth's surface at the time.
The results showed that vast regions across Europe and northern Africa were vulnerable to increased UV radiation. Interestingly, these same regions also show archaeological evidence of behavioral shifts among
Homo sapiens, such as increased cave use and the application of ochre—a reddish mineral that can serve as a natural UV protectant when applied to the skin.
“Essentially, we overlaid our space weather models with evidence from human activity and found a strong overlap,” Mukhopadhyay said. “This suggests that early modern humans responded to their environment in adaptive ways, which may have helped them thrive while Neanderthals disappeared.”
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https://github.com/AdamSNY/Racing-Maste ... y-MODRaven Garvey, an anthropologist and co-author of the study, emphasized the role of clothing in survival. Archaeological findings linked to
Homo sapiens include specialized tools like scrapers, awls, and bone needles—indicating the production of fitted garments.“Tailored clothing not only kept them warmer, but allowed them to move farther from central hearths in search of food,” Garvey said. “It was a significant technological advantage, and it’s something we don’t see associated with Neanderthals to the same extent.”The Laschamps excursion, which lasted from roughly 41,000 to 39,000 years ago, marked a temporary reversal of Earth's magnetic poles, though they never fully flipped. During this period, the magnetic field weakened substantially, shrinking the planet’s protective bubble and allowing more energetic particles to reach the surface.
This heightened exposure likely played a role in shaping human behavior and migration. The U-M team’s modeling showed that auroras could have been visible as far south as the Mediterranean and North Africa—an indication of just how far-reaching the atmospheric effects were.While the study doesn’t claim these environmental changes directly caused Neanderthal extinction, it does provide a compelling framework for understanding how environmental stressors may have favored more adaptable species.
“Our findings don’t answer all the questions, but they suggest that technological innovation—such as clothing and sun protection—may have helped
Homo sapiens endure a harsh and changing environment,” said Garvey.Future research will continue to examine the intersection of environmental events and human adaptation, but this study marks a significant step in understanding how Earth’s natural forces may have shaped the course of human history.
About 41,000 years ago, Earth’s magnetic field experienced a major disruption known as the Laschamps excursion, a geomagnetic event that weakened the planet’s protective shield and exposed the surface to increased solar and cosmic radiation. A new study led by researchers at the University of Michigan suggests that early [i]Homo sapiens[/i] may have survived this period—thanks to innovative adaptations like tailored clothing, cave sheltering, and even a primitive form of sunscreen.
Published in [i]Science Advances[/i], the research combines anthropological data with advanced space weather modeling to show how environmental changes during this magnetic shift may have affected human evolution. The team found that while [i]Homo sapiens[/i] adopted strategies to mitigate the harmful effects of heightened ultraviolet radiation, Neanderthals—who lacked similar innovations—vanished from the archaeological record around the same time.
“This was a period when Earth’s magnetic field dropped to just 10% of its current strength, allowing charged solar particles to penetrate deeper into the atmosphere and trigger auroras across the globe,” said Agnit Mukhopadhyay, lead author of the study and a research affiliate at U-M’s Department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering.
Using the Space Weather Modeling Framework developed at U-M, Mukhopadhyay built a 3D simulation of Earth's magnetosphere during the Laschamps excursion. By integrating models of geomagnetic activity, solar plasma interactions, and auroral distribution, the researchers reconstructed how solar radiation would have reached Earth's surface at the time.
The results showed that vast regions across Europe and northern Africa were vulnerable to increased UV radiation. Interestingly, these same regions also show archaeological evidence of behavioral shifts among [i]Homo sapiens[/i], such as increased cave use and the application of ochre—a reddish mineral that can serve as a natural UV protectant when applied to the skin.
“Essentially, we overlaid our space weather models with evidence from human activity and found a strong overlap,” Mukhopadhyay said. “This suggests that early modern humans responded to their environment in adaptive ways, which may have helped them thrive while Neanderthals disappeared.”
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https://github.com/AdamSNY/Racing-Master-Open-World-unlimited-money-MODRaven Garvey, an anthropologist and co-author of the study, emphasized the role of clothing in survival. Archaeological findings linked to [i]Homo sapiens[/i] include specialized tools like scrapers, awls, and bone needles—indicating the production of fitted garments.“Tailored clothing not only kept them warmer, but allowed them to move farther from central hearths in search of food,” Garvey said. “It was a significant technological advantage, and it’s something we don’t see associated with Neanderthals to the same extent.”The Laschamps excursion, which lasted from roughly 41,000 to 39,000 years ago, marked a temporary reversal of Earth's magnetic poles, though they never fully flipped. During this period, the magnetic field weakened substantially, shrinking the planet’s protective bubble and allowing more energetic particles to reach the surface.
This heightened exposure likely played a role in shaping human behavior and migration. The U-M team’s modeling showed that auroras could have been visible as far south as the Mediterranean and North Africa—an indication of just how far-reaching the atmospheric effects were.While the study doesn’t claim these environmental changes directly caused Neanderthal extinction, it does provide a compelling framework for understanding how environmental stressors may have favored more adaptable species.
“Our findings don’t answer all the questions, but they suggest that technological innovation—such as clothing and sun protection—may have helped [i]Homo sapiens[/i] endure a harsh and changing environment,” said Garvey.Future research will continue to examine the intersection of environmental events and human adaptation, but this study marks a significant step in understanding how Earth’s natural forces may have shaped the course of human history.