Why in the News?

• Researchers found traces of many present-day viruses in the bones of two Neanderthals who lived 50,000 years ago, providing a new perspective on their extinction.

Who were the Neanderthals?

• • Neanderthals were a distinct species of hominins that lived in Europe and parts of Asia around 400,000 to 40,000 years ago during the Middle to Late Pleistocene Epochs.
  • Their evidence was first found in 1856 in the Neander Valley in present-day Germany.

• Physical Features:

• • • Neanderthals were robustly built, with a stocky and muscular frame adapted to cold climates.
    • They had large brains, comparable in size to modern humans, indicating advanced cognitive abilities.
    • Distinctive features included a prominent brow ridge, large nose, and a receding chin.

• Social Life:

• • • Neanderthals were skilled hunters and gatherers, using tools such as stone flakes, scrapers, and spears for hunting and butchering animals.
    • They utilized fire for cooking, warmth, and protection, as evidenced by the presence of hearths in their archaeological sites.
    • Evidence suggests they had complex social structures and engaged in rituals and symbolic behaviours, including burying their dead with grave goods.

• Habitat and Distribution:

• Neanderthals inhabited a wide range of environments, including open grasslands, forests, and even cold tundra regions.

• • • Their range extended from Western Europe to Central Asia, with evidence of populations in regions such as Spain, France, Germany, Croatia, and the Middle East.

• Interactions with Modern Humans:

• • Neanderthals coexisted with early modern humans (Homo sapiens) for thousands of years in Europe and Asia.
  • There is evidence of interbreeding between Neanderthals and modern humans, with genetic studies indicating that non-African humans carry about 1-2% Neanderthal DNA.

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