Neanderthal Brains Measure up to Ours—Literally

Neanderthal brains measure up to ours—literally

The differences between our brains and Neanderthals' were likely cosmetic.

Cavemen who died 40,000 years ago were just as smart as humans, study reveals

Long-held assumptions about Neanderthals' cognitive abilities have been challenged by new research from Indiana University, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.The study suggests our ancient relatives possessed intelligence comparable to modern humans, contradicting decades of scientific thinking that portrayed them as mentally inferior.For generations, the distinctive skull shape of Neanderthals led scientists to co…

Scientists think they finally know why Neanderthals vanished

A new study suggests Neanderthals didn’t go extinct simply because of climate change or competition with Homo sapiens. Instead, the key difference may have been social connectivity—Homo sapiens formed stronger, more flexible networks that helped them survive environmental shocks. Neanderthals had connections too, but they were more fragile and regionally limited. This made them less resilient as conditions became increasingly unpredictable.

Brain Scans Reveal a Surprise About Neanderthal Intelligence

In 1857, the German anatomist Hermann Schaaffhausen analyzed a human fossil with "an extraordinary form" that he had never seen before – not in "existing European stocks", he wrote, or "even in the most barbarous races." The curious cranium had been unearthed the year before, just east of Düsseldorf, in Germany's Neander Valley.

Neanderthals' brains weren't to blame for their demise, new study suggests

Researchers examining the brains of living people found that they differed more substantially than Neanderthals' brains differed from modern humans', calling into question the reason our evolutionary cousins mysteriously disappeared.

Neanderthals Were Likely Just As Smart As Us, So Their Extinction Probably Had Nothing To Do With Intelligence

The cognitive differences between Neanderthals and humans were smaller than those between different present-day populations.