Neanderthal

Also known as Homo neanderthalensis, Neanderthals

Neanderthals ( ; Homo neanderthalensis or sometimes Homo sapiens neanderthalensis) are an extinct group of archaic humans who inhabited Europe and Western and Central Asia during the Middle to Late Pleistocene. Neanderthal extinction occurred roughly 40,000 years ago with the immigration of modern humans (Cro-Magnons), but Neanderthals in Gibraltar may have persisted for thousands of years longer.

AI overview

Neanderthals were an extinct group of early humans who lived in Europe and parts of Asia during the Middle to Late Pleistocene period until roughly 40,000 years ago, when they disappeared around the time modern humans arrived in their territories. They matter because studying them helps us understand human evolution and what happened when our species encountered and potentially interacted with other human groups, though some Neanderthal populations in Gibraltar may have survived several thousand years longer than others.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Research

2,097 papers

The contribution of Neanderthal introgression to modern human traits.Current biology : CB · 2022
Neanderthal behaviour, diet, and disease inferred from ancient DNA in dental calculus.Nature · 2017
The complete genome sequence of a Neanderthal from the Altai Mountains.Nature · 2014
Reconstructing Neanderthal diet: The case for carbohydrates.Journal of human evolution · 2022
Svante Pääbo, reader of the Neanderthal genome.Acta physiologica (Oxford, England) · 2023

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Image: Homo sapiens neanderthalensis.jpg

Show 6 more facts

start time: 248050-00-
Commons category: Homo neanderthalensis
taxon name: Homo neanderthalensis
end time: 38050-00-0
short name: H. neanderthalensis
taxon common name: Neanderthaler

Sources (7)

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~45 min read

Article

29 sections

Contents

Taxonomy
Etymology
Discovery
Research history
Classification
Evolution
Demographics
Range
Population
Anatomy
Skull
Build
Pathology
Culture
Social structure
Food
The arts
Technology
Language
Burials and religion
Interbreeding<span class="anchor" id="Interbreeding"></span>
Extinction
In popular culture
See also
Footnotes
References
Sources
Further reading
External links

The first recognised Neanderthal fossil, Neanderthal 1, was discovered in 1856 in the Neander Valley, Germany. At first, Neanderthal 1 was considered to be one of the lower races in accord with historical race concepts. As more fossils were discovered through the early 20th century, Neanderthals were characterised as a unique species of underdeveloped human, in particular by Marcellin Boule. By the mid-twentieth century, it was believed that human evolution progressed from an ape-like ancestor through a "Neanderthal phase" to modern humans. This gave way to the "Out of Africa" theory in the 1970s. Sequencing of the Neanderthal genome in 2010 revealed that Neanderthals interbred with modern humans.