Paleontologists did an analysis on Neanderthal bone fractures and compared them to bone fractures in different sets of humans. It turns out that Neanderthals sustained the same types of injuries as rodeo riders and other people who spend long amounts of time near powerful animals. Since they had not developed any kind of projectile weapons, Neanderthals probably used the straight up bum rush technique in acquiring meat, and this resulted in many injuries
Studies of Neanderthal campsites indicate that their diet was over 90% meat. This would place them higher up on the food chain and make them more reliant on the size of the local animal population. Since a wave of extinctions usually followed early humans wherever they went, the arrival of Homo Sapiens in Europe was probably no different. The loss of many animal species placed strain on Neanderthal hunting, and probably quickened their demise.