Neanderthal summary

Neanderthal , Species of the human genus (Homo) that inhabited much of Europe, the Mediterranean lands, and Central Asia c. 200,000–24,000 years ago. The name derives from the discovery in 1856 of remains in a cave above Germany’s Neander Valley. Most scholars designate the species as Homo neanderthalensis and do not consider Neanderthals direct ancestors of modern humans (Homo sapiens); however, both species share a common ancestor that lived as recently as 130,000 years ago. Some scholars report evidence of limited interbreeding between Neanderthals and early modern humans of European and Asian stock. Neanderthals were short, stout, and powerful. Their braincases were long, low, and wide, and their cranial capacity equaled or surpassed that of modern humans. Their limbs were heavy, but they seem to have walked fully erect and had hands as capable as those of modern humans. They were cave dwellers who used fire, wielded stone tools and wooden spears to hunt animals, buried their dead, and cared for their sick or injured. They may have used language and may have practiced a primitive form of religion. See also Mousterian industry.