From Rick McRae, Canberra, Australia
Laura Spinney reports Matt Pope's view on where to look for Neanderthal habitation: a third of the way up a slope with a good vista and solid rock behind (9 February, p 28). Studying , we found “thermal belts” in exactly these places on spurs of high ground, with higher temperatures and lower humidity than adjacent zones. They require clear skies.
These belts can be 7°C or more warmer than neighbouring ground. If the sites were indeed “optimised” for this, that could lead us to make interesting inferences about Neanderthals' understanding of their environments.
