CavemanThe Neanderthals (or Neandertals, from German: Neandertaler) (/niˈændərˌθɔːlz/, /niˈændərˌtɔːlz/, /niˈændərˌtɑːlz/, /neɪˈɑːndərˌtɑːlz/ or /niˈændərθəlz/)[3] are an extinct species of human in the genus Homo, possibly a subspecies of Homo sapiens.[4] They are very closely related to modern humans,[5][6] differing in DNA by only 0.12%.[7] Remains left by Neanderthals include bones and stone tools, which are found in Eurasia, from Western Europe to Central and Northern Asia. The species is named after Neandertal ("Nean ...view middle of the document...
[11][12][13][14][15][16]Several cultural assemblages have been linked to the Neanderthals in Europe. The earliest, the Mousterian stone tool culture, dates to about 300,000 years ago.[17] Late Mousterian artifacts were found in Gorham's Cave on the south-facing coast of Gibraltar.[18][19]With an average cranial capacity of 1600 cc,[20] Neanderthal's cranial capacity is notably larger than the 1400 cc average for modern humans, indicating that their brain size was larger. However, due to larger body size, Neanderthals are less encephalized.[21] In 2008, a group of scientists produced a study using three-dimensional computer-assisted reconstructions of Neanderthal infants based on fossils found in Russia and Syria. The study indicated that Neanderthal and modern human brains were the same size at birth, but by adulthood, the Neanderthal brain was larger than the modern human brain.[22] They were much stronger than modern humans, having particularly strong arms and hands.[23] Males stood 164-168 cm (65-66 in) and females about 152-156 cm (60-61 in) tall.[24]Genetic evidence published in 2010 suggests that Neanderthals contributed to the DNA of anatomica...
