Late Pleistocene Homo
Homo neanderthalensis
"Neanderthals"
400–40 ka·360 ka·Discovered 1856
Description
Neander valley (Germany). Larger brain than ours. 1-4% of their DNA lives on in non-African humans today.
Notable facts
- Their brains were larger than ours
- They buried their dead
- They made art and jewelry
- Your DNA is ~2% Neanderthal if you are non-sub-Saharan African
Key specimens
Neanderthal 1
Feldhofer specimen
Type specimen found in 1856 in the Neander valley, Germany.
La Chapelle-aux-Saints
"The Old Man"
Buried elderly individual that revealed Neanderthal mortuary practices.
Shanidar 1
"Shanidar I"
Individual with healed injuries showing long-term care of the wounded.
Anatomy
Robust, cold-adapted body. Large brain, projecting midface, no chin.
Locomotion
Modern bipedal, powerful build for ambush hunting.
Diet
Predominantly carnivorous; isotopes show heavy meat consumption.
Tools & culture
Mousterian tools, hafted spears, body painting, burials, music? (Divje Babe flute is debated).
Where to see it
Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann, Germany; Musée de l'Homme, Paris.
Media & references
Image ·
Wikimedia Commons · Wikipedia article
Green et al. (2010). A draft sequence of the Neandertal genome. Science.
doi: 10.1126/science.1188021 ↗