Science & technology | Human evolution

Neanderthals had a propensity for earache, nudging them to their doom

A new analysis of their skulls points to an anatomical problem

THE LAST Neanderthals vanished from Earth about 40,000 years ago. Exactly what drove them to extinction, however, remains a mystery, with their disappearance variously attributed to anything from climate change to inferior cognitive abilities or even cannibalism.

This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Say what?”

Growing barriers: Why Europe’s single market is at risk

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