Trade or Die

It wasn’t dinosaurs, global warming, or meteor strikes that finished off the Neanderthals. No, according to several economists, it was something far more sinister — protectionism. At least, that’s the latest theory to explain the sudden extinction of Neanderthals, who existed as a species for longer than humans have been on Earth. Writing in the ...

It wasn't dinosaurs, global warming, or meteor strikes that finished off the Neanderthals. No, according to several economists, it was something far more sinister -- protectionism. At least, that's the latest theory to explain the sudden extinction of Neanderthals, who existed as a species for longer than humans have been on Earth. Writing in the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, one Dutch and two American economists argue that "economics might have been the only thing going for [humans] in those early days." 

It wasn’t dinosaurs, global warming, or meteor strikes that finished off the Neanderthals. No, according to several economists, it was something far more sinister — protectionism. At least, that’s the latest theory to explain the sudden extinction of Neanderthals, who existed as a species for longer than humans have been on Earth. Writing in the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, one Dutch and two American economists argue that "economics might have been the only thing going for [humans] in those early days." 

Archeological evidence suggests that early modern people were biologically inferior to Neanderthals: Humans were weaker, slower, and far less adept at either hunting or gathering. So what accounts for their success in the face of a more powerful species? Free trade, the economists say. "What trade does is allow the less skilled to increase their resources," says Rick Horan, a coauthor of the paper and a professor at Michigan State University. "Neanderthals didn’t trade, and so [they] couldn’t do this and that’s why they died out."

Not everyone is convinced. Erik Trinkaus, a professor of anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis, describes the theory as "rubbish." He laments that it is one of those ideas that presumes "Neanderthals were sitting around being stupid, waiting to become extinct." Free traders are undeterred. Daniel Drezner, a political scientist at the University of Chicago, says that the theory "could replace the Smoot–Hawley tariff causing the Great Depression as the strongest argument for free trade." Either way, it may offer one more reason why a country’s trade policy must be a thing of evolution.

More from Foreign Policy

Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.
Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.

Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America

The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.

Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.
Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.

The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense

If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.

Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.

Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War

Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.

An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.
An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.

How China’s Saudi-Iran Deal Can Serve U.S. Interests

And why there’s less to Beijing’s diplomatic breakthrough than meets the eye.