Photo/Illutration A first edition of Charles Darwin’s classic “On the Origin of Species” (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

The size of the brain of Neanderthals was almost the same as that of our ancestors, according to scientists.

Neanderthals were physically stockier and stronger than our ancestors.

After a period when our ancestors lived along with their close cousins, Neanderthals suddenly disappeared from Earth some 30,000 to 40,000 years ago.

The cause of extinction remains controversial. But I personally am puzzled by the fact that Neanderthals were the ones that died out despite being physically stronger than ancestors of modern humans. It seems that they should have survived given the law of the jungle, or survival of the strongest, which rules this world.

This is not strange, however, according to Hidehiro Inagaki, a professor at Shizuoka University.

“As a matter of fact, the history of life shows that the weak, not the strong, more often survived by adjusting themselves to changes (in the environment),” Inagaki, 51, recently taught me.

He is the author of various books including “Ikimono no Shinizama” (How various living creatures die).

As we live now we always think about the future. The reason why Homo sapiens can do this is that the species, because of its physical weakness, has learned to deal with the complex interactions associated with living in groups and in the process acquired the ability to “imagine” what other members of the group are thinking.

“Different individuals imagine different things. This diversity may have been crucial for (modern humans’) survival,” Inagaki theorizes.

In other words, the strong, exactly because of their strength, do not like changes and tend to resist becoming diverse groups. This is probably true with both dinosaurs and Neanderthals. German soccer legend Franz Beckenbauer, who was a member of West Germany’s national squad, famously said, “The strong one doesn’t win, the one that wins is strong.”

Nov. 24 is celebrated as “Evolution Day,” which commemorates the anniversary of the first publication in 1859 of Charles Darwin’s classic “On the Origin of Species.”

Living things that fail to adjust themselves to changes in their living environment are doomed to go extinct sooner or later through the process of natural selection.

The human race is no exception. As I imagine the future of this strong but weak species, for a while I feel humbled.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Nov. 24

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.