It was a species of the genus Homo neanderthalensis, which inhabited Europe and some places in western Asia about 230,000 to about 29,000 years ago. Neanderthals were cold-adapted, their brains were approximately 10% larger in volume than those of modern humans. On average, Neanderthals were around 1.65m tall and very muscular. Their characteristic style of stone tool making is called the Musterian culture.
The physical characteristics of Neanderthals are:
Skull
- Suprainac fossa, a canal over the external occipital bulge of the skull
- occipital protuberance
- Mid face projected forward
- Skull elongated backwards
- Prominent supraorbital torus, arching over ocular orbits
- Brain capacity between 1200 and 1700 cm³ (slightly greater than that of modern humans)
- Absence of chin
- Low forehead, almost absent
- Space behind the molars
- Wide nose opening
- Bony bumps on the sides of the nasal opening
- Different shape of the labyrinth bones in the ear
Post Skull
- Considerably more muscular
- Big and robust fingers
- Very rounded rib cage
- Different shape of the pelvis
- large kneecaps
- Elongated clavicle
- Short, arched shoulder blades
- Strong, arched thigh bones
- Very short tibias and fibulas