一项新的研究显示，现代人类到达欧洲并把尼安德特人逐渐推到灭绝边缘的时间比之前认为得更早。对保加利亚北部一处洞穴遗迹进行的一系列测试表明，早在4.6万年前那里就有智人存在。

 

Modern humans are prime suspects in the extinction¹ of the Neanderthals - the ancient species that disappeared from Europe almost as soon as our ancestors arrived.

现代人类是导致尼安德特人灭绝的主要嫌疑犯，尼安德特人是原始人类文明的物种，他们在我们的祖先刚到达欧洲后就消失了。

 

It's unclear whether we competed with them or wiped them out through disease, but a tooth and bones from Bacho Kiro cave in Bulgaria suggest modern humans were in Europe 46,000 years ago, earlier than previous evidence from Britain and Italy.

目前尚不清楚是由于人类与他们的竞争，还是由于疾病而导致尼安德特人灭绝，但在保加利亚巴乔·基罗（Bacho Kiro）洞穴中发现的单颗牙齿和骨骼遗骸表明，现代人类早在4.6万年前就生活在欧洲，比之前来自英国和意大利的证据所显示的时间还要早。

 

This would mean the two species co-existed for as long as 5,000 years. Pendants from the Bulgarian cave resemble those made by Neanderthals, suggesting we exchanged ideas.

这将意味着两个物种曾共同生存了长达五千年之久。在保加利亚洞穴中发现的吊坠外形与尼安德特人制作的吊坠相似，这表明现代人类和尼安德特人有过思想上的交流。

 

The finds imply the reasons for their extinction were complex, and factors such as climate change may have played a role.

这些发现意味着尼安德特人灭绝的原因是复杂的，而且气候变化等因素可能也造成了一定程度的影响。

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