{"id":189018,"date":"2025-04-17T01:08:59","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T01:08:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/anthropology\/how-a-weakened-magnetic-field-may-have-tilted-the-fate-of-early-humans\/"},"modified":"2025-04-17T01:08:59","modified_gmt":"2025-04-17T01:08:59","slug":"how-a-weakened-magnetic-field-may-have-tilted-the-fate-of-early-humans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=189018","title":{"rendered":"How a Weakened Magnetic Field May Have Tilted the Fate of Early Humans"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<p>Roughly 41,000 years ago, Earth\u2019s magnetic field\u2014our planet\u2019s protective shield\u2014flickered and faltered. The magnetic poles drifted from their usual places, the field weakened to a tenth of its modern strength, and aurorae flared over continents that rarely see them. This episode, known as the Laschamps excursion, did not just create celestial fireworks. According to new research, it may have also reshaped the evolutionary story of humans in Europe and beyond.<\/p>\n<div class=\"captioned-image-container\">\n<figure><a class=\"image-link image2 is-viewable-img\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F22c5c670-f4b8-45f9-806b-36f50e8a4926_1024x997.heic\" data-component-name=\"Image2ToDOM\" rel=\"\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"image2-inset\"><picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F22c5c670-f4b8-45f9-806b-36f50e8a4926_1024x997.heic 424w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F22c5c670-f4b8-45f9-806b-36f50e8a4926_1024x997.heic 848w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F22c5c670-f4b8-45f9-806b-36f50e8a4926_1024x997.heic 1272w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F22c5c670-f4b8-45f9-806b-36f50e8a4926_1024x997.heic 1456w\" sizes=\"100vw\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F22c5c670-f4b8-45f9-806b-36f50e8a4926_1024x997.heic\" width=\"1024\" height=\"997\" data-attrs=\"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/22c5c670-f4b8-45f9-806b-36f50e8a4926_1024x997.heic&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:997,&quot;width&quot;:1024,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:177332,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image\/heic&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.anthropology.net\/i\/161505259?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F22c5c670-f4b8-45f9-806b-36f50e8a4926_1024x997.heic&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null}\" class=\"sizing-normal\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F22c5c670-f4b8-45f9-806b-36f50e8a4926_1024x997.heic 424w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F22c5c670-f4b8-45f9-806b-36f50e8a4926_1024x997.heic 848w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F22c5c670-f4b8-45f9-806b-36f50e8a4926_1024x997.heic 1272w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F22c5c670-f4b8-45f9-806b-36f50e8a4926_1024x997.heic 1456w\" sizes=\"100vw\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<p><\/a><figcaption class=\"image-caption\">University of Michigan researcher Agnit Mukhopadhyay reconstructed what the magnetic field around Earth may have looked like during the Laschamps excursion, a time period between 42,200 and 41,500 years ago when the north and south poles wandered from their geographic locations. Image credit: Agnit Mukhopadhyay, University of Michigan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>A study<\/span><span> led by Agnit Mukhopadhyay and colleagues at the University of Michigan has reconstructed Earth\u2019s geospace system during the Laschamps event with unprecedented detail. Their three-dimensional models show a planet bathed in increased ultraviolet and cosmic radiation\u2014especially across Europe and northern Africa\u2014at precisely the moment when <\/span><em>Homo sapiens<\/em><span> was expanding and <\/span><em>Homo neanderthalensis<\/em><span> was fading from the archaeological record.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The Earth\u2019s magnetic field is more than a compass guide; it is a dynamic structure, sculpted by molten currents in the planet\u2019s outer core. This geomagnetic engine typically keeps high-energy particles from the sun and beyond at bay. But every so often, it stumbles. During the Laschamps excursion, that stumble was dramatic.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThe field dropped to about 10% of its current strength and the poles tilted more than 75 degrees from their typical positions,\u201d said Mukhopadhyay, whose team modeled the resulting distortions in the magnetosphere and auroral zones.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>This collapse caused the auroral oval\u2014the region where solar particles enter the atmosphere and cause polar lights\u2014to balloon in size and drift equatorward. In modern times, auroras flicker over polar skies. During Laschamps, they lit up places like France and the Sahara.<\/p>\n<div class=\"captioned-image-container\">\n<figure><a class=\"image-link image2 is-viewable-img\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F60f31b7c-7817-4b42-94bf-e89c19899c8c_2000x1582.heic\" data-component-name=\"Image2ToDOM\" rel=\"\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"image2-inset\"><picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F60f31b7c-7817-4b42-94bf-e89c19899c8c_2000x1582.heic 424w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F60f31b7c-7817-4b42-94bf-e89c19899c8c_2000x1582.heic 848w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F60f31b7c-7817-4b42-94bf-e89c19899c8c_2000x1582.heic 1272w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F60f31b7c-7817-4b42-94bf-e89c19899c8c_2000x1582.heic 1456w\" sizes=\"100vw\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F60f31b7c-7817-4b42-94bf-e89c19899c8c_2000x1582.heic\" width=\"1456\" height=\"1152\" data-attrs=\"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/60f31b7c-7817-4b42-94bf-e89c19899c8c_2000x1582.heic&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1152,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:462936,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image\/heic&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.anthropology.net\/i\/161505259?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F60f31b7c-7817-4b42-94bf-e89c19899c8c_2000x1582.heic&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null}\" class=\"sizing-normal\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F60f31b7c-7817-4b42-94bf-e89c19899c8c_2000x1582.heic 424w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F60f31b7c-7817-4b42-94bf-e89c19899c8c_2000x1582.heic 848w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F60f31b7c-7817-4b42-94bf-e89c19899c8c_2000x1582.heic 1272w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F60f31b7c-7817-4b42-94bf-e89c19899c8c_2000x1582.heic 1456w\" sizes=\"auto, 100vw\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<p><\/a><figcaption class=\"image-caption\">During the Laschamps excursion, a time period between 42,200 and 41,500 years ago, the north and south poles wandered from their geographic locations. At this time, aurora, depicted here by gradients of green and yellow, were able to be seen over most of the globe. Image credit: Agnit Mukhopadhyay, University of Michigan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>More concerning than the view was the fallout: these auroras marked regions where harmful radiation could reach the ground.<\/p>\n<p>As the magnetic field declined, the effects on Earth\u2019s surface intensified. Ozone depletion, increased ultraviolet radiation (UVR), and heightened cosmic ray exposure would have been especially hazardous to early humans. Ocular damage, folate depletion, and immune suppression are all possible outcomes of such exposure.<\/p>\n<p><span>Yet archaeological evidence suggests <\/span><em>Homo sapiens<\/em><span> didn\u2019t just survive this celestial hazard\u2014they adapted. According to co-author Raven Garvey, an anthropologist at the University of Michigan, modern humans likely used a suite of cultural technologies to mitigate UV exposure.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cTailored clothing, for instance, may have provided both thermal insulation and photoprotection,\u201d Garvey explained. \u201cAnd ochre, which is frequently found at Aurignacian sites, has demonstrated sunscreen-like properties.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span>Unlike Neanderthals, who probably wore simpler, draped garments, <\/span><em>Homo sapiens<\/em><span> left behind tools such as bone awls and needles\u2014strong indicators of sewn, form-fitting clothing. These innovations would have allowed longer forays away from shelters and greater exposure to irradiated landscapes, without the same risk.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"captioned-image-container\">\n<figure><a class=\"image-link image2 is-viewable-img\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0bebb9cc-8386-4cd9-bac8-560b4e1d5945_2000x745.heic\" data-component-name=\"Image2ToDOM\" rel=\"\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"image2-inset\"><picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0bebb9cc-8386-4cd9-bac8-560b4e1d5945_2000x745.heic 424w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0bebb9cc-8386-4cd9-bac8-560b4e1d5945_2000x745.heic 848w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0bebb9cc-8386-4cd9-bac8-560b4e1d5945_2000x745.heic 1272w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0bebb9cc-8386-4cd9-bac8-560b4e1d5945_2000x745.heic 1456w\" sizes=\"100vw\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0bebb9cc-8386-4cd9-bac8-560b4e1d5945_2000x745.heic\" width=\"1456\" height=\"542\" data-attrs=\"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/0bebb9cc-8386-4cd9-bac8-560b4e1d5945_2000x745.heic&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:542,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:229854,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image\/heic&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.anthropology.net\/i\/161505259?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0bebb9cc-8386-4cd9-bac8-560b4e1d5945_2000x745.heic&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null}\" class=\"sizing-normal\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0bebb9cc-8386-4cd9-bac8-560b4e1d5945_2000x745.heic 424w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0bebb9cc-8386-4cd9-bac8-560b4e1d5945_2000x745.heic 848w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0bebb9cc-8386-4cd9-bac8-560b4e1d5945_2000x745.heic 1272w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0bebb9cc-8386-4cd9-bac8-560b4e1d5945_2000x745.heic 1456w\" sizes=\"auto, 100vw\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<p><\/a><figcaption class=\"image-caption\">This figure shows a map of the combined coverage of the region where aurora were able to be seen on Earth during the Laschamps excursion, a time period between 42,200 and 41,500 years ago. The map also shows areas of human activity on a global scale. Image credit: Agnit Mukhopadhyay, University of Michigan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The study also points to a spike in cave use during this period. While caves served many purposes\u2014shelter, ritual, art\u2014they also shielded inhabitants from solar exposure. It is plausible, Garvey noted, that some caves were used not just for their cultural or symbolic significance but as literal refuges from a more dangerous atmosphere.<\/p>\n<p>Neanderthals had persisted in Europe for hundreds of thousands of years, enduring multiple glacial cycles. But by about 40,000 years ago, they vanish from the fossil record. The timing aligns closely with the Laschamps excursion.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cWhat distinguished anatomically modern humans from Neanderthals wasn\u2019t just biology, but behavior,\u201d said Mukhopadhyay. \u201cThis study suggests that environmental challenges\u2014like a weakened magnetic shield\u2014may have amplified the advantages of innovation and adaptation.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>This is not to say the Laschamps excursion alone caused Neanderthal extinction. Their decline was almost certainly due to multiple factors, including demographic pressures, climatic variability, and competition. But the added stress of global radiation, combined with a lack of protective technologies, may have tipped the scales.<\/p>\n<p>The study\u2019s models don\u2019t just illuminate the past. They also cast a wary eye forward. Earth\u2019s magnetic field is currently weakening at a rate of about 1% every two decades. If another excursion were to occur, the consequences could be catastrophic\u2014not for survival per se, but for technology.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cSatellite systems, communication networks, even air travel would all be at risk during such an event,\u201d said Mukhopadhyay. \u201cBut there\u2019s another lesson here, too. Life found a way through one of Earth\u2019s most volatile episodes.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The research may also inform the search for life on exoplanets. Planets lacking strong magnetic fields are often dismissed as poor candidates for life. But Earth\u2019s own history tells a more nuanced story.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cIf early humans could survive an event like Laschamps,\u201d Garvey added, \u201cthen life might find a foothold even on worlds where radiation levels are high\u2014given the right behaviors or biotechnologies.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Cooper, A. et al. (2021).<\/strong><br \/><span>A global environmental crisis 42,000 years ago. <\/span><em>Science<\/em><span>, 371(6527), 811\u2013818.<\/span><br \/><span>https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.abb8677<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Nilsson, A. et al. (2022).<\/strong><br \/><span>Recurrent ancient geomagnetic field anomalies and the South Atlantic Anomaly. <\/span><em>PNAS<\/em><span>, 119(25), e2200749119.<\/span><br \/><span>https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1073\/pnas.2200749119<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Gao, J. et al. (2022).<\/strong><br \/><span>Effects of the Laschamps excursion on geomagnetic cutoff rigidities. <\/span><em>Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems<\/em><span>, 23(10).<\/span><br \/><span>https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1029\/2021GC010261<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Brown, M. et al. (2018).<\/strong><br \/><span>Earth\u2019s magnetic field is probably not reversing. <\/span><em>PNAS<\/em><span>, 115(20), 5111\u20135116.<\/span><br \/><span>https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1073\/pnas.1722110115<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Roughly 41,000 years ago, Earth\u2019s magnetic field\u2014our planet\u2019s protective shield\u2014flickered and faltered. The magnetic poles drifted from their usual places, the field weakened to a tenth of its modern strength, and aurorae flared over continents that rarely see them. This episode, known as the Laschamps excursion, did not just create celestial fireworks. According to new [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":189019,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11767],"tags":[5508,22154,2050,18867,2242,73965,70667],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-189018","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-anthropology","tag-early","tag-fate","tag-field","tag-humans","tag-magnetic","tag-tilted","tag-weakened"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How a Weakened Magnetic Field May Have Tilted the Fate of Early Humans - Som2ny Network<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=189018\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How a Weakened Magnetic Field May Have Tilted the Fate of Early Humans - Som2ny Network\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Roughly 41,000 years ago, Earth\u2019s magnetic field\u2014our planet\u2019s protective shield\u2014flickered and faltered. The magnetic poles drifted from their usual places, the field weakened to a tenth of its modern strength, and aurorae flared over continents that rarely see them. This episode, known as the Laschamps excursion, did not just create celestial fireworks. 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