An interspecific perspective on the emergence of the modem human predatory niche

Several aspects of the European Middle Paleolithic archaeological record suggest that Neandertal lifeways differed significantly from those of later, anatomically-modern humans (e.g., Binford 1983; Gamble 1986; Mellars 1989). However, little can be said about how these differences might reflect adaptive change, because so few independent measures currently are available for assessing ecological "distance". With this issue in mind, I have chosen to investigate possible shifts in the predatory niche of Homo sapiens from an interspecific point of view. The study is conducted from the perspective of niche theory and examines hominids' ecological relationships with both their prey and coexisting predators.