Answer:
Neanderthals are considered a distinct population of archaic Homo sapiens because they have a number of physical and genetic differences compared to modern humans, such as a larger brain size, more robust body structure, and distinctive facial features. Additionally, Neanderthals lived in Eurasia from around 400,000 to 40,000 years ago, and are thought to have interbred with early modern humans who migrated out of Africa. The genetic evidence of Neanderthal DNA found in modern humans also highlights their distinctness as a population.