Who Were Our Ancestors?

"Cro-Magnon" is the name of a location in Dordogne, France, in the district of Eyzies-de-Tayac, where prehistoric human bones have been found. In the local language of Périgord Occitan, "cro" means a hollow, while "Magnon" was the name of the family that owned the land there. In the scientific community, the expression "Cro-Magnon man," which was used from 1874 onward, is now used increasingly less often, being abandoned in favor of "modern man." 

Our ancestors roamed lands they knew perfectly. They hunted animals (reindeer, horses, bison), fished, and also may have engaged in some scavenging (taking the meat of dead animals). They also gathered plants (berries, roots, tubers, fruit, and seeds) and stones or rock for making tools.

A. Yes, there has always seven billion people living on Earth or B. No, the population has grown over the years 

Though we do not have material evidence of any encounters between the two species, we know that Neanderthals coexisted with our ancestors. At some prehistoric sites (like the Mandrin caves in Drôme, France), thanks to the remains found, we can see an alternation in occupation between Neanderthal man and modern man. Above all, we have genetic proof that the two species could interbreed. In fact, our genome contains some genes (about 4%) inherited from Neanderthals.

Our ancestors did indeed experience illness. However, they didn't suffer from the same illnesses as those that affect us, like high blood pressure or obesity. Our ancestors had considerable knowledge of nature's resources. They used certain plants for cauterization, and others to treat stings. They may also have used soft rocks like clay as remedies.  

If we consider how comparatively few people there were in Europe 36,000 years ago, the land was vast and rich enough in resources for it not to be a cause of conflict among groups of humans. Furthermore, the rare homo sapiens bones found do not show signs of injuries attributable to confrontations. We can see some evidence of anatomical injuries, like fractures which had healed. However, these cannot be associated with acts of violence from wars. 

Physically, our ancestors were identical to us. So, they could speak. However, we do not have knowledge of the language they spoke. Language does not fossilize and our ancestors had an oral culture, since they did not know how to write. It is very likely that we will never know the language spoken and articulated by our ancestors. However, it seems pretty safe to assume that they had an articulated, structured form of oral communication. 

Lifespans were much shorter than nowadays. Archaeologists think the average lifespan was about 30–35 years. However, findings of bones have demonstrated that some individuals reached ages of around 60 years thanks to being cared for by their group.  

They would not have had a religion in the sense that we understand it today. However, our ancestors did have spiritual beliefs, which they expressed in sacred places like caves by decorating the walls, for example.

We are physiologically identical to them and we have the same brain. There is no reason why our ancestors, who had the same intelligence as us, would not have been capable of emotions. They laughed and cried just like us. And let us not forget that our cousins, the great apes, also feel and express emotions.