Recent research into a cave complex at Atapuerca in northern Spain that sheltered ancient humans and their ancestors suggests that four hundred thousand years ago, when winters were quite harsh in the region and there was not access to fish stocks like the modern Sámi, Inuit and other peoples who live in unforgiving environments have to tide them over
hibernated to get through the season. In depth study of human and Neanderthal fossil remains show that like our ursine cousins, there are signs of annual disruption to bone growth, indicative of a metabolic state of dormancy, in survival mode. This sounds like a good strategy to me.
