Test your vocabulary with our fun image quizzes. Image credits. Word of the Day goodwill. Blog Outsets and onsets! Read More. November 08, To top. English American. Sign up for free and get access to exclusive content:. Free word lists and quizzes from Cambridge. Neanderthals had a stocky build and large skulls with thick eyebrow ridges and big teeth. They usually lived in caves, made flaked stone tools, and were the earliest humans known to bury their dead.
Neanderthals were either a subspecies of modern humans Homo sapiens neanderthalensis or a separate, closely related species Homo neanderthalensis. They coexisted with early modern humans Cro-Magnons for several thousand years before becoming extinct, but are not generally believed to have interbred with them.
See also Mousterian. All rights reserved. Neanderthals evolved in Europe and Asia while modern humans - our species, Homo sapiens - were evolving in Africa. Judging from fossil evidence from Sima de los Huesos in northern Spain and Swanscombe in Kent, the Neanderthal lineage was already well-established in Europe by , years ago.
The species ranged widely in Eurasia, from Portugal and Wales in the west across to the Altai Mountains of Siberia in the east. Neanderthal populations were adaptable, living in cold steppe environments in England and Siberia about 60, years ago, and in warm temperate woodlands in Spain and Italy about , years ago.
Neanderthals had a long, low skull compared to the more globular skull of modern humans with a characteristic prominent brow ridge above their eyes. Their face was also distinctive. The central part of the face protruded forward and was dominated by a very big, wide nose. Some scientists think this feature may have been an adaptation to living in colder, drier environments.
The large internal volume of the nose would have acted to moisten and warm the air they breathed. Their front teeth were large, and scratch-marks show they were regularly used like a third hand when preparing food and other materials.
Unlike modern humans, Neanderthals didn't have much of a chin. Side views of an approximately 50,year-old Neanderthal skull from La Ferrassie, France, next to an approximately 20,year-old Homo sapiens fossil from Abri Pataud, France.
The modern human has a more rounded skull and lacks the prominent brow ridge present in the Neanderthal. Neanderthals had strong, muscular bodies, and wide hips and shoulders.
Adults grew to about 1. Early Neanderthals were taller on average than later Neanderthals, but their weight was about the same. Model of a Homo neanderthalensis skeleton front and back views. Neanderthals had stocky physiques with short lower legs and lower arms. Their short, stocky physiques were suited to cold environments. The bulky trunk, in addition to their short lower leg and lower arm bones, gave Neanderthals proportions that would have minimised the skin's surface area, presumably to conserve heat under the predominantly colder conditions of the last , years.
Some researchers argue that this physique also gave the Neanderthals greater power in their arms and legs for close-range ambushes during hunting. Despite their reputation as being primitive 'cavemen', Neanderthals were actually very intelligent and accomplished humans. These were no 'ape-men'. So it's unfair to them that the word Neanderthal is used as an insult today. The brain size of late Neanderthals ranged from at least 1,cm 3 to 1,cm 3. This is larger than the modern average, but in proportion to their body size.
Homo sapiens skulls from around 30, years ago also had larger brains on average than people today. Neanderthals were skilled tool makers, as evidenced by excavated objects such as spears and flint handaxes. Around , years ago Neanderthals developed an innovative stone technology known as the Levallois technique. This involved making pre-shaped stone cores that could be finessed into a finished tool at a later time. It meant Neanderthals were free to travel away from sources of raw material and yet be able to make tools when needed.
We know from injuries found on their prey - such as mammoths, bison and reindeer - that Neanderthals were proficient hunters, intelligent and able to communicate.
Healed and unhealed bone damage found on Neanderthals themselves suggest they killed large animals at close range - a risky strategy that would have required considerable skill, strength and bravery. Neanderthals also developed the ability to make fire from at least , years ago.
They needed it to live in their very challenging environments. Because many Neanderthal fossils and artefacts have been found in caves, the species became synonymous with the idea of cavemen. But many early modern humans also lived in caves - some of the most famous examples being the original Cro-Magnon Man, found in France, and Cheddar Man , who was found in Gough's Cave and lived in Somerset around 10, years ago.
Archaeological evidence shows that some Neanderthals looked after their sick and buried their dead, which suggests they were social and even compassionate beings. Cast of a Neanderthal burial in Kebara Cave, Israel, from around 60, years ago. The position of the upper limbs suggests the body was deposited in the grave before rigor mortis set in. The head is absent.
Some scientists believe it was removed after burial, but we don't know why. The same adaptive introgression happened with Neanderthal DNA. Some genes turned out to be helpful for humans and did not disappear from the human DNA. What adaptations did these Neanderthal genes provide us? Scientists are making a catalog of all the beneficial genes we received from Neanderthals [ 3 , 4 ]. Let us have a look at some of these genes.
The gene microcephalin MCPH1 , for example, ensures that the development of the brain goes according to plan. Perhaps this Neanderthal gene made humans smarter and better able to survive in unexplored territories. Other Neanderthal genes, such as olfactory receptor 12D3 OR12D3 , are important for the digestion of food. Humans that arrived in Europe were confronted with all types of new food. The genes from Neanderthals helped them to adapt quickly to a new diet.
Some genes might even have changed the shape of our teeth! Several genes that humans received from Neanderthals also seem to play a role in the immune system, protecting us against certain diseases. These genes make proteins that search the human body for harmful bacteria and viruses.
When they encounter one, they capture it and make sure it does not do any more damage to the body. This is similar to a police officer who patrols the streets looking for criminals and putting them in jail.
When humans arrived in Europe, they encountered many new diseases that do not occur in Africa. Their bodies were not familiar with these diseases and they got sick quickly. The Neanderthals, however, had coped with these diseases for thousands of years and their DNA had the right genes to fight the viruses and bacteria that caused these European diseases.
When humans received Neanderthal DNA, they also got the genes to fight the new viruses and bacteria. You could say that humans got a team of police officers familiar with the criminals in the area.
That made it easier to capture the criminals and put them in jail. As you can see from these examples, the Neanderthal genes in our DNA have been very helpful. These genes stuck around because they were probably beneficial for humans, helping our species survive to the present day.
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