Four-Field Co-evolutionary Model for Human Cognition: Variation in the Middle Stone Age/Middle Palaeolithic

Abstract Here we explore variation and similarities in the two best-represented population groups who lived during Middle Stone Age Palaeolithic—the Neanderthals Homo sapiens . Building on approaches such as gene-culture co-evolution, propose a four-field model to discuss relationships between human cognitive evolution, biology, technology, society, ecology. We focus pre-50-ka phase, because reason that later admixing Eurasia may make it difficult separate them terms of cognition, or any other fields discussed this paper. Using our enabled us highlight cognition populations symbolic behaviour social learning identify differences aspects technical cognition. Dissimilarities brain-selective gene variants brain morphology strongly suggest some evolutionary trajectories would have affected therefore rather than insisting were cognitively ‘the same’ , be useful future studies Neanderthal-specific been well-developed within their specific context at time.