Homo neanderthalensis and Megaloceros giganteus (Irish elk)
128128Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalensis King, 1864)
Order: Primates
Family: Hominidae
Dimensions: height - males 164-168 cm, females 152-156 cm; weight ~ 90 kg
Temporal range: during the late Pleistocene (from Western Europe to Central and Northern Asia)
Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) were our close evolutionary cousins who inhabited Europe and western Asia from about 400.000 until 40.000 years ago. Neanderthal men averaged around 164-165 cm in height, while women were shorter, averaging about 155–156 cm. Despite their relatively modest stature, they were powerfully built, with heavy bones, strong muscles and compact body proportions well adapted to the cold climates of Ice Age Eurasia. Their distinctive anatomy included prominent brow ridges, a large wide nose, massive jaws with little or no chin, and large teeth. Their brains were exceptionally large, with cranial capacities comparable to - and sometimes exceeding - those of Homo sapiens. Far from the stereotypical «caveman», Neanderthals were skilled toolmakers who developed sophisticated Mousterian stone industries, manufactured adhesive from birch tar, controlled fire and hunted large animals. They cared for injured and elderly members of their groups, while possible burials and ornaments such as eagle talons suggest surprisingly complex social and symbolic behaviour.
Their world was deeply interconnected with other ancient humans. Neanderthals met and interbred with Denisovans - remarkably, a teenage girl nicknamed «Denny», discovered in Denisova Cave, had a Neanderthal mother and a Denisovan father. They also encountered and interbred with Homo sapiens as modern humans spread through Eurasia. Those encounters left an extraordinary genetic legacy: people of European and Asian ancestry typically carry around 1-2% Neanderthal DNA, some of which continues to influence traits in modern humans.
Their name comes from the Neander Valley in Germany, where fossil human remains were recognized in 1856. Over time, Neanderthals evolved in popular culture from brutish savages into complex and often sympathetic characters, appearing in William Golding’s The Inheritors (1955) and Jean M. Auel’s The Clan of the Cave Bear (1980), among many other works. Their world has also been recreated in the BBC series Walking with Cavemen (2003), the film Ao: The Last Hunter (2010), and prehistoric games such as Far Cry Primal (2016).
The ultimate irony is that Neanderthals were never primitive strangers completely separate from us: they were another branch of humanity whose genetic legacy still lives on in billions of people today.
The image depicts a Neanderthal hunting Megaloceros giganteus,
the extinct giant deer or Irish elk, with a second giant deer visible in the
background. Large herbivores, including deer, were important prey for
Neanderthals, providing a valuable source of meat and other resources during
the Ice Age.
Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalensis King, 1864)
Order: Primates
Family: Hominidae
Dimensions: height - males 164-168 cm, females 152-156 cm; weight ~ 90 kg
Temporal range: during the late Pleistocene (from Western Europe to Central and Northern Asia)
Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) were our close evolutionary cousins who inhabited Europe and western Asia from about 400.000 until 40.000 years ago. Neanderthal men averaged around 164-165 cm in height, while women were shorter, averaging about 155–156 cm. Despite their relatively modest stature, they were powerfully built, with heavy bones, strong muscles and compact body proportions well adapted to the cold climates of Ice Age Eurasia. Their distinctive anatomy included prominent brow ridges, a large wide nose, massive jaws with little or no chin, and large teeth. Their brains were exceptionally large, with cranial capacities comparable to - and sometimes exceeding - those of Homo sapiens. Far from the stereotypical «caveman», Neanderthals were skilled toolmakers who developed sophisticated Mousterian stone industries, manufactured adhesive from birch tar, controlled fire and hunted large animals. They cared for injured and elderly members of their groups, while possible burials and ornaments such as eagle talons suggest surprisingly complex social and symbolic behaviour.
Their world was deeply interconnected with other ancient humans. Neanderthals met and interbred with Denisovans - remarkably, a teenage girl nicknamed «Denny», discovered in Denisova Cave, had a Neanderthal mother and a Denisovan father. They also encountered and interbred with Homo sapiens as modern humans spread through Eurasia. Those encounters left an extraordinary genetic legacy: people of European and Asian ancestry typically carry around 1-2% Neanderthal DNA, some of which continues to influence traits in modern humans.
Their name comes from the Neander Valley in Germany, where fossil human remains were recognized in 1856. Over time, Neanderthals evolved in popular culture from brutish savages into complex and often sympathetic characters, appearing in William Golding’s The Inheritors (1955) and Jean M. Auel’s The Clan of the Cave Bear (1980), among many other works. Their world has also been recreated in the BBC series Walking with Cavemen (2003), the film Ao: The Last Hunter (2010), and prehistoric games such as Far Cry Primal (2016).
The ultimate irony is that Neanderthals were never primitive strangers completely separate from us: they were another branch of humanity whose genetic legacy still lives on in billions of people today.
The image depicts a Neanderthal hunting Megaloceros giganteus,
the extinct giant deer or Irish elk, with a second giant deer visible in the
background. Large herbivores, including deer, were important prey for
Neanderthals, providing a valuable source of meat and other resources during
the Ice Age.
-346x277.jpg "Megaloceros giganteus (Irish elk)")
