Neanderthal Behavior

Abstract

Neanderthals are a hominin species that existed for at least 200,000 years throughout Europe and western Asia, and disappeared about 27,000 years ago (ya). During this time, they witnessed some of the coldest climatic conditions ever known in these regions. Many of their physical features suggest that they were adapted for the cold, such as their barrel-shaped chests, shorter limbs, and larger brains, all of which suggest a body shape adapted for retaining heat. They excelled at hunting animals and making complex stone tools, and their bones reveal that they were extremely muscular and strong, but led hard lives, suffering frequent injuries. There is no doubt that Neanderthals were an intelligent species, successfully adapted to their environment for over 200 millenia. But how "human" were they? Did they exhibit behaviors that we consider to be uniquely human, such as language, music, art, and religion? And why did they disappear from Europe so soon after modern humans moved in?