Neanderthal man: history, characteristics and extinction

The Mysterious Neanderthals: Who Were They?

Reading time : 1 minute, Discovery Chepe Id-515-SOC
Published in 11-04-2024

Artistic recreation by Mauricio Antón, Museum of Human Evolution. Burgos España.

Neanderthal Man (Homo neanderthalensis) is an extinct species of the genus Homo that inhabited Europe and Western Asia during the Middle Paleolithic, from approximately 230,000 to 40,000 years ago.

Physical characteristics
Robust and short body: Adapted to cold climates, Neanderthals had a robust body, with short limbs and a barrel-shaped thorax.
Elongated and prominent skull: Their skull was elongated, with a low forehead and a marked supraorbital arch.
Big nose: They had a large nose, which could have been an adaptation to warm and humidify cold air.

Lifestyle
Hunters and gatherers: Neanderthals were hunters and gatherers, and ate mainly large mammals.
Stone tools: They used stone tools, such as hand axes and spearheads, to hunt and process food.
Social life: They lived in social groups and cared for the sick and elderly.

Evoluci�n de la historia humana. pic.twitter.com/MmkRT2NMTU
— Somos Cosmos (@InformaCosmos) April 7, 2023

Neanderthals: Our Extinct Human Relatives

Extinction
The extinction of the Neanderthals remains a mystery, but several theories have been proposed, such as:
Competition with Homo sapiens: The arrival of Homo sapiens in Europe may have led to competition for resources and territory.
Climate changes: Climate fluctuations may have affected the ecosystems of the Neanderthals, making their survival difficult.
Diseases:Neanderthals may have been more vulnerable to infectious diseases introduced by Homo sapiens.

Source: "Neanderthal Man: In Search of Lost Genomes." Basic Books, 2014 "The last Neanderthals: Recent excavations and perspectives." Evolutionary Anthropology, 2000.
Photograph: Tom McHugh/Field Museum, Chicago/Science photo Library

Genetic legacy
Despite their extinction, Neanderthals left a genetic legacy in modern humans. Recent studies have revealed that non-Africans have between 1% and 4% Neanderthal DNA.