Neanderthal

Neanderthal is an extinct species or subspecies of archaic humans who lived in Eurasia until about 40,000 years ago. They most likely went extinct due to great climatic change, disease, or a combination of these factors. It is unclear if they were a separate species or a subspecies.

Characteristics

Neanderthals had a robust build and distinctive morphological features, especially of the cranium, which gradually accumulated more derived aspects, particularly in certain isolated geographic regions. Evidence of their habitation has been found in Eurasia, from Western Europe to Central and Northern Asia. The Neanderthal genome project published papers in 2010 and 2014 stating that Neanderthals contributed to the DNA of modern humans, including most humans outside sub-Saharan Africa, as well as a few populations in sub-Saharan Africa, through interbreeding, likely between 50,000 and 60,000 years ago.

Discovery

Neanderthals are named after the location of Neanderthal, a small valley in Germany, where the first specimen was found. The species was first scientifically described in 1856, four years after the first recognition of the first early human fossils.

Extinction

The exact cause of the extinction of the Neanderthals is not known, and a variety of reasons are given, including violence from Homo sapiens, competitive replacement, and extinction by interbreeding with early modern human populations.

See also

• Human evolution
• Homo sapiens
• Homo neanderthalensis

References

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External links

• Wikipedia Article on Neanderthal

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