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| '''"Neanderthal Man"'' was a species (or subspecies, see below) of humans who inhabited Europe before the rise of anatomically modern humans. They were named after the Neander Valley in Germany, where their fossil remains were first found. Their characteristic style of stone tools is called the Mousterian Culture, after another prominent archaeological site. | '''"Neanderthal Man"''' was a species (or subspecies, see below) of humans who inhabited Europe before the rise of anatomically modern humans. They were named after the Neander Valley in Germany, where their fossil remains were first found. Their characteristic style of stone tools is called the Mousterian Culture, after another prominent archaeological site. | ||
Revision as of 17:22, 13 January 2002
"Neanderthal Man" was a species (or subspecies, see below) of humans who inhabited Europe before the rise of anatomically modern humans. They were named after the Neander Valley in Germany, where their fossil remains were first found. Their characteristic style of stone tools is called the Mousterian Culture, after another prominent archaeological site.
Popular literature has tended to exaggerate the ape-like gait and related characteristics of the Neanderthals. It has been found that some of the earliest specimens found in fact suffered from severe arthritis. The average Neanderthal was fully bipedal and had a brain capacity slightly higher than that of a modern human (though brain structure was organised somewhat differently).
Both the Neanderthal's place in the human family tree and their relation to modern Europeans has been hotly debated ever since their discovery. They have been classified as a separate species (Homo neanderthalensis) and as a subspecies (Homo sapiens neanderthalensis) as the fashion in paleo-anthropological circles came and went. The current consensus, based on DNA research, is that they were a separate branch of the genus Homo and that modern humans are not dsescended from them.