The Last Neanderthals book published by local authors

The last Neanderthals, co-authored by Professor Clive and Dr Stewart Finlayson of the Gibraltar National Museum, has been published by Spanish Publisher, Editorial Salvat, which has produced a library of books on human evolution.

It is referred to as a unique collection in its field, because of the range of subjects covered and the quality of the books that it has published. To achieve this, Salvat contacted leading world experts in their respective fields, among these were Professor and Dr Finlayson.

The book covers “the enigma of an extinction” and relies heavily on evidence from Gibraltar itself and the research that has been carried out on the Rock so far.

“But the volume offers a global perspective and highlights the importance of Gibraltar to our understanding of the Neanderthals and the extinction process,” said a statement from the Government.

It is divided into fourteen chapters that cover the latest evidence, from palaeogenomics to ecology, including sections on art, Neanderthal behaviour and the impact of climate changes.

“Although the authors have had their work previously translated into many languages, including Spanish, this has been the first time that they were asked to write the book directly in Spanish, “said the statement.

“This was a new test for the authors, who are delighted at having being able to rise to the challenge at such a high level.”

The book is illustrated by the authors’ own photographs, as well as graphics and data tables which support the arguments developed in the text.