Late Neanderthals

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Late Neanderthals
ZHUGAR', PANIN, KUCHERENKO, LISHCHYNA,
NESTERENKO

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Neanderthals are recognisably
human but have distinctive facial
features and a stocky build that were
evolutionary adaptations to cold, dry
environments.
Body size and shape
Neanderthals were generally shorter
and had more robust skeletons and
muscular bodies than modern
humans
males averaged about 168
centimetres in height while females
were slightly shorter at 156
centimetres.

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brain size was larger
than the average
modern human brain
and averaged 1500
cubic centimetres. This
is expected, as
Neanderthals were
generally heavier and
more muscular than
modern humans.
People that live in cold
climates also tend to
have larger brains than
those living in warm
climates.

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Skull
distinctive skull shape that was long and low, with a
rounded brain case
back of the skull had a bulge called the occipital
bun and a depression (the suprainiac fossa) for the
attachment of strong neck muscles
thick but rounded brow ridge lay under a relatively
flat and receding forehead
mid-face region showed a characteristic forward
projection (this resulted in a face that looked like it
had been ‘pulled’ forward by the nose)
orbits (eye sockets) were large and rounded
nose was broad and very large
Jaws and teeth

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What happened to the Neanderthals?
Neanderthals persisted for hundreds of thousands of years
in extremely harsh conditions. They shared Europe for
10,000 years with Homo sapiens. Today they no longer
exist. Beyond these facts the fate of Neanderthals has
generated much debate.
Two main theories
Theory 1: They interbred with Homo sapiens sapiens on a
relatively large scale. Followers of this theory believe that
although Neanderthals as organisms no longer exist their
genes were present in early modern Europeans and may
still exist today. Interbreeding diluted Neanderthal DNA
because there were significantly more Homo sapiens