Neanderthals created stone tools held together by a multi-component adhesive, a team of scientists has discovered. Its findings, which are the earliest evidence of a complex adhesive in Europe, suggest these predecessors to modern humans had a higher level of cognition and cultural development than previously thought.
I always imagined early hominids were just like us. Some were smarter, some less so. One of them might have a brilliant idea and invent some stuff like that adhesive, teaches his group about it. The only difference today is the spread of information. It’s not that we’re smarter, it’s that we’ve hugely improved our ability to share knowledge.