🧬 Neanderthal in Real Life | Homo neanderthalensis What you’re seeing:
A close-up reconstruction of an adult male Neanderthal in a cold, cave-side environment. The face is built around the traits described in the fossil record: a prominent brow ridge, a large mid-face, angled cheekbones, and a large nose. Who were Neanderthals?
Neanderthals were our closest extinct human relative and a distinct human species: Homo neanderthalensis. When did they live?
About 400,000 to 40,000 years ago. Where did they live?
Across Europe and southwestern to central Asia. How big were they?
Average height: males 5 ft 5 in (164 cm), females 5 ft 1 in (155 cm).
Average weight: males 143 lb (65 kg), females 119 lb (54 kg).
 What made them different from us?
They were typically shorter and stockier than modern humans, and their brains were as large as ours and often larger, proportional to their brawnier bodies. Brain size ranges reported for late Neanderthals are at least 1,200 cm³ to 1,750 cm³. How di...