NeanderthalTime : less than 2,00,000 ya

First find: Gibralter 1848

Homo sapiens

H. Neanderthalensis

Homo erectus

Homo sapiens

H. neandethalensis

Homo erectus

Homo sapiens

Homosapiens neanderthalensis

Homo erectus

Homo sapiens

Cro magnon

Homo neanderthalensis

Homo erectus

Rhodesia man Homo sapiens

Homo neanderthalensis

Homo erectus

• Neanderthals co-existed with modern humans for long periods of time before eventually becoming extinct about 28,000 years ago.

• Neanderthals were advanced humans, capable of intelligent thought processes and were able to adapt to and survive in some of the harshest environments known to humans

This species lived between 28,000 and 300,000 years ago

• early Homo neanderthalensis from about 300,000 years ago

• classic Homo neanderthalensis from about 130,000 years ago

• late Homo neanderthalensis from about 45,000 years ago.

Key specimens

• Le Moustier – a 45,000-year-old skull discovered in Le Moustier, France. The distinctive features of Neanderthals are already apparent in this adolescent individual. This shows that these characteristics were genetic and not developed during an individual’s lifetime.

• Shanidar 1 – upper jaw with teeth. The front teeth of Neanderthals often show heavy wear, a characteristic that is even found in young Neanderthals. It is probable that they used their teeth as a kind of vice to help them hold animal skins or other objects as they worked.

• La Ferrassie 1 – a 50,000-year-old skull discovered in 1909 in La Ferrassie, France. This skull of an elderly male has the features associated with ‘classic’ European Neanderthals.

• Amud 1 – a 45,000-year-old skull discovered in1961 by Hisashi Suzuki in Amud, Israel. This individual was more than 180 centimetres tall and had the largest brain of any fossil human (1740 cubic centimetres). Neanderthals probably migrated to the Middle East during times of harsh European winters. These individuals had less robust features than their European counterparts.

• Maba – a partial skull classifed as Homo sp. (species uncertain) and discovered in Maba, China. This partial skull, dated to about 120,000 – 140,000 years old, shows remarkable similarities to European Neanderthals and its discovery in southern China suggests the possibility that Neanderthals travelled further east than once thought. More fossil evidence from Asia is needed to understand the significance of this specimen.

• La Chapelle-aux-Saints – a 50,000-year-old skull discovered in 1908 in La Chapelle-aux-Saints, France. This male individual had lost most of his teeth and his skeleton showed evidence of major injuries and disease including a healed broken hip, and arthritis of the lower neck, back, hip and shoulders. He survived for quite some time with these complaints, which indicates that these people cared for the sick and elderly.

• Neanderthal 1 – a 45,000-year-old skullcap discovered in 1856 in Feldhofer Grotto, Neander Valley, Germany. This is the ‘type specimen’ or official representative of this species.

• Kebara 2 – 60,000-year-old partial skeleton discovered in 1983 in Kebara cave, Israel. This relatively complete skeleton belonged to an adult male. It was deliberately buried but as no grave goods were found it is difficult to infer any ritualistic behaviour.

• Lagar Velho – a 24,000-year-old skeleton of a Homo sapiens boy discovered in 1998 in Abrigo do Lagar Velho, central western Portugal. This specimen has been described by its discoverers (and particularly Eric Trinkhaus) as a Neanderthal-Homo sapiens hybrid. This interpretation was based on knee and leg proportions but as the head, pelvis and forearms are decidedly human it is more likely that the robustness is a climatic adaptation (

Sites of Neanderthal

• La Chappel Aux Saints by Boule , near Dusseldorf

• Le Moustier, Yugoslavia, Galilie, Mt Carmel

Physical features

• Classical neanderthal

• Progressive neanderthal