# Was it inevitable that there would only be one remaining Genus Homo **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 15, 2026, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-it-inevitable-that-there-would-only-be-one-remaining-genus-homo/1033863 "2026-10-15T19:11:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-it-inevitable-that-there-would-only-be-one-remaining-genus-homo/1033863/21 "2026-10-16T00:18:01Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Being better at that is the core of natural selection. Hard not to consider that as one species out-competing the other over a non-isolated area. Right, outcompeting doesn’t necessarily mean direct warfare (though in the case of sapiens vs. neanderthal, I suspect it did). As long as there’s something that’s providing a challenge to both species, one or the other will do a better job of standing up to that challenge. And every time that happens, the relative proportions of the two species will change. Eventually, one will die off, and the other will completely fill the niche. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-it-inevitable-that-there-would-only-be-one-remaining-genus-homo/1033863/22 "2026-10-16T00:44:19Z")
There’s also the issue that we _could_ interbreed. That likely contributed to the Neanderthals outright vanishing. The more numerous humans became the more any surviving Neanderthal lineages would to be simply bred out of existence even if we assume no violence was involved. A Homo species we couldn’t viably breed with might be able to continue to hang on with much lower numbers just because they don’t risk being a single drop dispersing into the gene pool, as it were. Like chimps; they have no chance against us, but we can’t interbreed them into nonexistence either so for as long as we don’t actually set out to annihilate them, they survive. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-it-inevitable-that-there-would-only-be-one-remaining-genus-homo/1033863/23 "2026-10-16T01:02:01Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > Well, yes, animals in the strictest sense but I would say we have the capacity for empathy and emotional concern for others that, say, lions lack. We don’t reliabily act on empathy and emotional concern for others _of our own species_. Another species, similar to us but somewhat different – different enough to be "wrong " – would be the ultimate “other”. And you know what we do to “others”, don’t you? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-it-inevitable-that-there-would-only-be-one-remaining-genus-homo/1033863/24 "2026-10-16T01:18:39Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > We don’t reliabily act on empathy and emotional concern for others _of our own species_. Yep. Like how when we started building cities we had to put walls around them to try to prevent our neighbors from killing us to take our food. That’s how we dealt with limited resources. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-it-inevitable-that-there-would-only-be-one-remaining-genus-homo/1033863/25 "2026-10-16T01:31:20Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > And you know what we do to “others”, don’t you? Yeah. If they looked human we fucked them as soon and as often as we could. Or perhaps vice versa. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-it-inevitable-that-there-would-only-be-one-remaining-genus-homo/1033863/26 "2026-10-16T02:29:01Z")
Usually both literally and metaphorically. Sometimes, when we’re feeling especially feisty, both at the same time. I sometimes wonder if the Uncanny Valley is a relic of a time when there were other beings that were almost but not quite like us. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-it-inevitable-that-there-would-only-be-one-remaining-genus-homo/1033863/27 "2026-10-16T03:27:22Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > There’s also the issue that we _could_ interbreed. That likely contributed to the Neanderthals outright vanishing. Which is why they are also called _ **Homo sapiens neanderthalensis** _, in which case, they are still around- sorta. Many modern humans carry Neanderthal DNA. But we out competed the others. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-it-inevitable-that-there-would-only-be-one-remaining-genus-homo/1033863/28 "2026-10-16T07:12:18Z")
When you look at our recorded history, considering the wars and constant conflicts with the “out group”, regardless of how the distinction is made (color of skin, anatomical comparisons, social habits), it is unlikely that two groups would coexist for long. It seems to be an inbuilt animal characteristic to find or manufacture differences to further nefarious ends. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-it-inevitable-that-there-would-only-be-one-remaining-genus-homo/1033863/29 "2026-10-16T08:07:27Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > When you look at our recorded history, considering the wars and constant conflicts with the “out group”, regardless of how the distinction is made (color of skin, anatomical comparisons, social habits), it is unlikely that two groups would coexist for long. Eh, on the contrary; the world is full of coexisting groups. And even when fighting happens, outright genocide is the exception not the norm, the world is full of groups that lost wars but still exist. If we really were _that_ bad at getting along I expect we’d have never developed beyond small, mutually genocidal Stone Age tribes. That violently split with heavy casualties any time internal differences show up. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-it-inevitable-that-there-would-only-be-one-remaining-genus-homo/1033863/30 "2026-10-16T10:54:28Z")
I see your point but I think you misunderstood the intent of the somewhat telegraphic title. I read it as "“Was it inevitable that there would only be one remaining (member of) Genus Homo?”. The “member of” is implied. As is the “?” at the end. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-it-inevitable-that-there-would-only-be-one-remaining-genus-homo/1033863/31 "2026-10-16T12:18:18Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Which is why they are also called _ **Homo sapiens neanderthalensis** _, in which case, they are still around- sorta. Many modern humans carry Neanderthal DNA. > > But we out competed the others. But “we” are who we are because we’re also “them”. > [@Musicat](#): > > When you look at our recorded history, considering the wars and constant conflicts with the “out group”, regardless of how the distinction is made (color of skin, anatomical comparisons, social habits), it is unlikely that two groups would coexist for long. When you look at our recorded history, there are always going to be multiple groups, because we’ll make them up if necessary. And they’ll always be interbreeding. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-it-inevitable-that-there-would-only-be-one-remaining-genus-homo/1033863/32 "2026-10-16T12:28:44Z")
They died off because they were lacking in one or more vital survival components. It appears that our inability to control ourselves as a species and not be self-destructive is going to be the reason we die off, but the final chapter of our book has yet to be written. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-it-inevitable-that-there-would-only-be-one-remaining-genus-homo/1033863/33 "2026-10-16T14:27:02Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I think you misunderstood the intent of the somewhat telegraphic title. Not at all. I was just objecting to the way it was worded. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-it-inevitable-that-there-would-only-be-one-remaining-genus-homo/1033863/34 "2026-10-16T16:16:25Z")
Never mind… ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-it-inevitable-that-there-would-only-be-one-remaining-genus-homo/1033863/35 "2026-10-16T16:49:24Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > If they looked human we fucked them as soon and as often as we could. And sometimes we even asked their permission before doing it. But always. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-it-inevitable-that-there-would-only-be-one-remaining-genus-homo/1033863/36 "2026-10-16T19:44:41Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > When you look at our recorded history, considering the wars and constant conflicts with the “out group”, regardless of how the distinction is made (color of skin, anatomical comparisons, social habits), it is unlikely that two groups would coexist for long. It seems to be an inbuilt animal characteristic to find or manufacture differences to further nefarious ends. > [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Eh, on the contrary; the world is full of coexisting groups. And even when fighting happens, outright genocide is the exception not the norm, the world is full of groups that lost wars but still exist. Not surprisingly, this is a long and, ironically, sometimes vicious battle between academics. Personally, I think the issue is a classic thesis, antithesis, synthesis progression. _Sapiens_ creates cooperating groups to fight battles, but also to farm land, build cities and infrastructure, and pass down information to children. Both individualism and group thinking have yielded major inventions, yet warfare brings about the fastest innovation. In-group battles persist but are eventually tamped down by social consensus. “Out groups” have always existed but so have societies which tolerate them to a greater or lesser degree - especially in cosmopolitan cities, a uniquely Sapiens creation that is vital to modern society. Back and forth on and on, to different degrees in different cultures at different times. Most animals have an innate social structure that sticks for life. _Neanderthal_ shows signs of group cooperation, probably because other primates had already evolved that, and its likely that our earlier ancestors did so as well. We’ll never know if they could take the leap to larger societies with far more variation, but I’d say that’s an absolute must for a Sapiens competitor. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-it-inevitable-that-there-would-only-be-one-remaining-genus-homo/1033863/37 "2026-10-16T21:54:50Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > We’ll never know if they could take the leap to larger societies with far more variation, but I’d say that’s an absolute must for a Sapiens competitor. If Neanderthals, or any other Sapiens competitor, had come out on top, it’s interesting to speculate [if they would have eventually made it to the moon.](https://s3.amazonaws.com/gs-geo-images/ec453fe9-1634-496a-80e9-81d07172abc5_l.png) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-it-inevitable-that-there-would-only-be-one-remaining-genus-homo/1033863/38 "2026-10-16T22:11:32Z")
Pretty sure that even Neanderthal rocket scientists would wear white shirts with pocket protectors. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-it-inevitable-that-there-would-only-be-one-remaining-genus-homo/1033863/39 "2026-10-16T22:31:07Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > If Neanderthals, or any other Sapiens competitor, had come out on top, it’s interesting to speculate [if they would have eventually made it to the moon.](https://s3.amazonaws.com/gs-geo-images/ec453fe9-1634-496a-80e9-81d07172abc5_l.png) The Neanderthals would have never developed religion and a concept of life after death, and would have been exceedingly cautious with their lives. Therefore they would never have attempted a moon mission. My source: > **[The Neanderthal Parallax](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Neanderthal_Parallax)** > > The Neanderthal Parallax is a trilogy of novels written by Robert J. Sawyer and published by Tor. It depicts the effects of the opening of a connection between two versions of Earth in different parallel universes: the world familiar to the reader, and another where Neanderthals became the dominant intelligent hominid. The societal, spiritual, and technological differences between the two worlds form the focus of the story. The trilogy's volumes are Hominids (published 2002), Humans (2003), and H... ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-it-inevitable-that-there-would-only-be-one-remaining-genus-homo/1033863/40 "2026-10-16T23:19:52Z")
Urgh. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-it-inevitable-that-there-would-only-be-one-remaining-genus-homo/1033863.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-it-inevitable-that-there-would-only-be-one-remaining-genus-homo/1033863.md?page=3)