Neanderthals

As a curmudgeonly oldster, I have time to watch informative historical specials on TV in addition to a full schedule of Matlocks, Murder, She Wrotes and such.

I recently waded through a documentary that took a look at how early humans likely lived. After an in-depth review, they surmised that Neanderthals weren't the stupid oafs I used to believe they were. They used tools, developed many skills to help control their environment, and practiced social rituals. And heck, they must have had good genes - we still see obvious descendants around us today.

But back in their time, they were able to foil all manner of life-threatening stuff and were well-adapted to survival. That's better than most of us could mange today if we were tossed out into the wilderness.