Final answer:
Neanderthals, or Homo neanderthalensis, lived between 400,000 and 30,000 years ago and were adapted to cold climates. They had a distinctive skull structure with large brow ridges, a larger average brain size than modern humans, showed complex behaviors, and interbred with Homo sapiens, contributing to the genetic makeup of contemporary humans.
Step-by-step explanation:
Who were Neanderthals?
Neanderthals, classified as Homo neanderthalensis, were a species of archaic humans that lived in Europe and parts of western Asia. They evolved from Homo erectus and existed approximately between 400,000 and 30,000 years ago. Here are five key elements that anthropologists are certain about when it comes to Neanderthals:
- Neanderthals were well-adapted to colder climates with a stocky and barrel-chested physique, which helped them survive during the ice age that began around 100,000 years ago.
- Their skulls featured large brow ridges, an occipital bun, a large nasal cavity, and distinctive wear patterns on their large front teeth, likely from using their teeth as tools.
- With an average brain size that was slightly larger than that of modern humans, Neanderthals were intelligent beings capable of hunting big game, using fire, and creating body paints.
- Neanderthals also demonstrated complex behaviors, such as burying their dead, which suggests a level of social sophistication and perhaps even spiritual beliefs.
- Crucially, DNA evidence has revealed that Neanderthals interbred with modern humans (Homo sapiens), leaving a genetic legacy in many humans alive today.
These characteristics remind us that Neanderthals were a robust and capable species that played an integral role in human evolutionary history.