Editing Neanderthal extinction (section)

{{Short description|none}}
{{Lead too short|date=May 2025}}
{{multiple image
| align    = right
| caption_align = center
| direction = vertical
| header= Neanderthal extinction
| total_width= 350
| image1   = Neanderthal distribution.jpg
| caption1 = Distribution of the Neanderthal, and main sites.
| image2   = Expansion of early modern humans from Africa.jpg
| caption2 = Replacement of Neanderthals by early modern humans.
| footer= 
}}

[[Neanderthals]] became extinct around 40,000 years ago. Hypotheses on the causes of the extinction include violence, transmission of diseases from modern humans which Neanderthals had no immunity to, competitive replacement, extinction by [[Interbreeding between archaic and modern humans#Neanderthals|interbreeding with early modern human populations]], natural catastrophes, [[Climate variability and change|climate change]] and inbreeding depression. It is likely that multiple factors caused the demise of an already low population.