https://phys.org/news/2025-04-earth-magnetic-pole-shift-sunscreen.html
The team found that the North Pole wandered
over Europe when the magnetic field's poles
started to flip positions, a natural process
that has happened around 180 times over
Earth's geological history. While the
magnetic reversal didn't complete at the
time, the magnetic field weakened to cause
aurora to occur over most of the globe, and
allowed more harmful UV light to come in from
space.
Around the same time, Homo sapiens appear to
have started making tailored clothing and
using ochre, a mineral that has sun-protective
properties when applied to the skin, with
greater frequency. These behaviors could have
contributed to their spread throughout Europe
and Asia at a time when the Neanderthal
population was declining.
On 2025-04-19 05:48:02 +0000, Primum Sapienti said:
https://phys.org/news/2025-04-earth-magnetic-pole-shift-sunscreen.html
The team found that the North Pole wandered
over Europe when the magnetic field's poles
started to flip positions, a natural process
that has happened around 180 times over
Earth's geological history. While the
magnetic reversal didn't complete at the
time, the magnetic field weakened to cause
aurora to occur over most of the globe, and
allowed more harmful UV light to come in from
space.
Presence or absence of aurora borealis does not significantly affect
UV radiation from space. Most UV comes from Sun. Auroras themselves
produce some ultraviolet but much less that Sun. Air under auroras
stops most of UVB and all of UVC, which are more harmful than UVA and
visible light.
Around the same time, Homo sapiens appear to
have started making tailored clothing and
using ochre, a mineral that has sun-protective
properties when applied to the skin, with
greater frequency. These behaviors could have
contributed to their spread throughout Europe
and Asia at a time when the Neanderthal
population was declining.
Another possibility is that Europe received enough immigrants from more densely populated areas to compensate the greater mortality, be it caused
by auroras or coldness or something else.
On 4/18/25 10:48 PM, Primum Sapienti wrote:
Earth's magnetic field reversals are not that infrequent. To some
https://phys.org/news/2025-04-earth-magnetic-pole-shift-sunscreen.html
Ancient Homo sapiens may have benefited
from sunscreen, tailored clothes and the
use of caves during the shifting of the
magnetic North Pole over Europe about
41,000 years ago, new University of
Michigan research shows.
These technologies could have protected
Homo sapiens living in Europe from harmful
solar radiation. Neanderthals, on the
other hand, appear to have lacked these
technologies and disappeared around 40,000
years ago, according to the study,
published in Science Advances and led by
researchers at Michigan Engineering and
the U-M Department of Anthropology.
The team found that the North Pole wandered
over Europe when the magnetic field's poles
started to flip positions, a natural process
that has happened around 180 times over
Earth's geological history. While the
magnetic reversal didn't complete at the
time, the magnetic field weakened to cause
aurora to occur over most of the globe, and
allowed more harmful UV light to come in from
space.
Around the same time, Homo sapiens appear to
have started making tailored clothing and
using ochre, a mineral that has sun-protective
properties when applied to the skin, with
greater frequency. These behaviors could have
contributed to their spread throughout Europe
and Asia at a time when the Neanderthal
population was declining.
"In the study, we combined all of the regions
where the magnetic field would not have been
connected, allowing cosmic radiation, or any
kind of energetic particles from the sun, to
seep all the way in to the ground," said Agnit
Mukhopadhyay, lead author and U-M research
affiliate in climate and space sciences and
engineering.
"We found that many of those regions actually
match pretty closely with early human activity
from 41,000 years ago, specifically an increase
in the use of caves and an increase in the use
of prehistoric sunscreen."
...
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adq7275
Wandering of the auroral oval 41,000 years ago
Abstract
In the recent geological past, Earth’s magnetic
field reduced to ~10% of the modern values and
the magnetic poles shifted away from the
geographic poles, causing the Laschamps
geomagnetic excursion, about 41 millennia ago.
The excursion lasted ~2000 years, with dipole
strength reduction and tilting spanning 300
years. During this period, the geomagnetic
field’s multipolarity resembled outer planets,
causing rapid magnetospheric changes. To our
knowledge, this study presents the first space
plasma analysis of the excursion, linking the
geomagnetic field, magnetospheric system, and
upper atmosphere in sequence using feedback
channels for distinct temporal epochs. A
three-dimensional reconstruction of Earth’s
geospace system shows that these shifts
affected auroral regions and open magnetic
field lines, causing them to expand and wander
toward lower latitudes. These changes likely
altered the upper atmosphere’s composition and
influenced anthropological progress during
that era. Looking through a modern lens, such
an event would disrupt contemporary technology,
including communications and satellite
infrastructure.
extent this looks like an explanation in search of a problem. Did Neanderthals really die of sunburn?
Mikko wrote:
On 2025-04-19 05:48:02 +0000, Primum Sapienti said:
https://phys.org/news/2025-04-earth-magnetic-pole-shift-sunscreen.html
Another possibility is that Europe received enough immigrants from more
densely populated areas to compensate the greater mortality, be it caused
by auroras or coldness or something else.
I'm in the middle of Steven LeBlanc's "Constant
Battles", pub 2003. Dated a bit, I suppose, but
does have a lot of useful odds and ends. (The
relating of Eskimo warfare was something else,
they were willing to spend 10 or more days
traveling to kill another group.)
The migrants may well have had a tech edge in a
time of changing climate etc as well as no
compunctions about knocking off the current
tenants.
Mikko wrote:
On 2025-04-19 05:48:02 +0000, Primum Sapienti said:
https://phys.org/news/2025-04-earth-magnetic-pole-shift-sunscreen.html
The team found that the North Pole wandered
over Europe when the magnetic field's poles
started to flip positions, a natural process
that has happened around 180 times over
Earth's geological history. While the
magnetic reversal didn't complete at the
time, the magnetic field weakened to cause
aurora to occur over most of the globe, and
allowed more harmful UV light to come in from
space.
Presence or absence of aurora borealis does not significantly affect
UV radiation from space. Most UV comes from Sun. Auroras themselves
produce some ultraviolet but much less that Sun. Air under auroras
stops most of UVB and all of UVC, which are more harmful than UVA and
visible light.
Around the same time, Homo sapiens appear to
have started making tailored clothing and
using ochre, a mineral that has sun-protective
properties when applied to the skin, with
greater frequency. These behaviors could have
contributed to their spread throughout Europe
and Asia at a time when the Neanderthal
population was declining.
Another possibility is that Europe received enough immigrants from more
densely populated areas to compensate the greater mortality, be it caused
by auroras or coldness or something else.
I'm in the middle of Steven LeBlanc's "Constant
Battles", pub 2003. Dated a bit, I suppose, but
does have a lot of useful odds and ends. (The
relating of Eskimo warfare was something else,
they were willing to spend 10 or more days
traveling to kill another group.)
The migrants may well have had a tech edge in a
time of changing climate etc as well as no
compunctions about knocking off the current
tenants.
On 2025-05-05 04:54:48 +0000, Primum Sapienti said:
Mikko wrote:
I'm in the middle of Steven LeBlanc's "Constant
Battles", pub 2003. Dated a bit, I suppose, but
does have a lot of useful odds and ends. (The
relating of Eskimo warfare was something else,
they were willing to spend 10 or more days
traveling to kill another group.)
The migrants may well have had a tech edge in a
time of changing climate etc as well as no
compunctions about knocking off the current
tenants.
One important point to consider is that the first Eoropean Homo
sapiens sapiens did not survive. Whether the last of them died
at the same time or for the same cause is not clear. Diseases
of the immmigrants from Asia is a good guess for both.
On 5/4/25 9:57 PM, Primum Sapienti wrote:
erik simpson wrote:
This is the last message I see, but there are apparently 2(?) more that
won't load. Please repeat.
Mikko wrote:caused
On 2025-04-19 05:48:02 +0000, Primum Sapienti said:
https://phys.org/news/2025-04-earth-magnetic-pole-shift-sunscreen.html
Another possibility is that Europe received enough immigrants from more
densely populated areas to compensate the greater mortality, be it
by auroras or coldness or something else.
I'm in the middle of Steven LeBlanc's "Constant
Battles", pub 2003. Dated a bit, I suppose, but
does have a lot of useful odds and ends. (The
relating of Eskimo warfare was something else,
they were willing to spend 10 or more days
traveling to kill another group.)
The migrants may well have had a tech edge in a
time of changing climate etc as well as no
compunctions about knocking off the current
tenants.
On 2025-05-05 04:54:48 +0000, Primum Sapienti said:
Mikko wrote:
I'm in the middle of Steven LeBlanc's "Constant
Battles", pub 2003. Dated a bit, I suppose, but
does have a lot of useful odds and ends. (The
relating of Eskimo warfare was something else,
they were willing to spend 10 or more days
traveling to kill another group.)
The migrants may well have had a tech edge in a
time of changing climate etc as well as no
compunctions about knocking off the current
tenants.
One important point to consider is that the first Eoropean Homo
sapiens sapiens did not survive. Whether the last of them died
at the same time or for the same cause is not clear. Diseases
of the immmigrants from Asia is a good guess for both.
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