Did we start with a genocide?

Neanderthal, the most recent archaic humans, inhabited Eurasia from the Atlantic regions of Europe eastward to Central Asia and from as far north as present-day Belgium southward to the Mediterranean and southwest Asia. They emerged between 300,000 and 100,000 years ago and were replaced by early modern humans between 35,000 and perhaps 24,000 years ago.

Replaced?

In fact, Neanderthals and modern humans may have had little direct interaction for tens of thousands of years until during one very cold period, modern humans spread across Europe. Their presence may have prevented Neanderthals from expanding back into areas they once favored and served as a catalyst for the Neanderthal’s impending extinction. Over just a few thousand years after modern humans moved into Europe, Neanderthal numbers dwindled to the point of extinction. All traces of Neanderthals disappeared by about 28,000 years ago.

It is impossible to know exactly how major a role human aggression played in the Neanderthals' disappearance (read the article by Jane Bosveld: Did We Mate Or Murder Neanderthals?). The groups undoubtedly competed for resources, and evidently humans sometimes attacked or even ate Neanderthals.

We can not know for sure, but knowing what we, as a species, are capable of, it is possible that we started our journey through time with a genocide.

What a beginning!