Neanderthals

Latest about Neanderthals

Neanderthal skull (foreground) contrasted with that of a modern human from the Palaeolithic.

Neanderthals could talk — but how sophisticated was their language?

By Steven Mithen published

Neanderthals could talk, but they likely couldn't use or understand metaphors, which compare two unlike things, research suggests.

Neanderthals
Microscope image shows three circular blobs that are positioned in a triangle orientation. They are multicolored with lots of dots in the center. The background is bright yellow

50,000-year-old Neanderthal bones harbor oldest-known human viruses

By Emily Cooke published

A new analysis of two skeletons suggests that three modern human viruses infected Neanderthals around 50,000 years ago.

Neanderthals
Illustration of a DNA double helix against a blue background. Two other helices can be seen blurred in the background

10 unexpected ways Neanderthal DNA affects our health

By Emily Cooke published

Around 2% of the genomes of modern Eurasians contains Neanderthal DNA. Here's how it affects our health.

Neanderthals
Neanderthal man at the human evolution exhibit at the Natural History Museum.

The mystery of the disappearing Neanderthal Y chromosome

By Emily Cooke published

Non-Africans carry around 2% Neanderthal DNA in their genomes — yet there's one chromosome where DNA from our ancient cousins is nowhere to be found.

Neanderthals
Close-up image of a Neanderthal skull against a black background

Could Neanderthals talk?

By Emily Cooke published

While still the topic of ongoing debate, some scientists think Neanderthals could talk and may have had language.

Neanderthals
Illustration of an early modern man embracing a Neanderthal woman. They appear to be in a forest at night. The moonlight is shining through the trees just behind them

'More Neanderthal than human': How your health may depend on DNA from our long-lost ancestors

By Emily Cooke published

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Neanderthals and humans mated millennia ago, and their legacy lives on in us today. Here's how.

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Neanderthals made parallel marks on this bear bone

130,000-year-old Neanderthal-carved bear bone is symbolic art, study argues

By Soumya Sagar published

The carved bear bone is one of the earliest human-made artifacts with "symbolic culture" unearthed in Europe.

Neanderthals
Image of a crowd of people crossing the Shibuya intersection. One set of white marking lines can be seen running parallel to the bottom side of the image, while another run diagonally towards the upper left-hand corner of the image. A range of people can be seen crossing from those carrying backpacks, others carrying shopping bags, some dressed in suits and others in jeans

Modern Japanese people arose from 3 ancestral groups, 1 of them unknown, DNA study suggests

By Emily Cooke published

Modern Japanese people largely originated from three ancestral groups and carry ancient DNA that may influence their risk of developing certain diseases, genetic analyses suggest.

Neanderthals
Close-up image of a group of four Indian children (with the face of another more blurred behind them) who are smiling at the camera. The sun in shining on their faces

India's evolutionary past tied to huge migration 50,000 years ago and to now-extinct human relatives

By Emily Cooke published

Modern Indians inherited genes from what is now Tajikistan and a diverse set of DNA from Neanderthals and Denisovans, new research reveals.

Neanderthals
A skull dated to the Bronze Age with a hole in its cranium from trepanation.

Ancient humans used cave in Spain as burial spot for 4 millennia, 7,000 bones reveal

By Tom Metcalfe published

The bones show burials from the Neolithic until the Bronze Age, and the researchers think the cave may have even been used by Neanderthals.

Neanderthals
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