What were the Neandertals like?, Chris Stringer

Interviewee: Chris Stringer. Human origins expert Chris Stringer describes the brains and facial structure of Neandertals from the fossils. (DNAi Location: Applications > Human origins> Comparisons > Bones > The Neandertals head: Part 1)

They were big-brained, I mean their brains were as big as ours, in some cases bigger than the modern average, so they were big-brained, certainly not primitive humans. They're not missing links, they're not apelike. They're actually quite evolved humans in their skeletons, but they're strongly built individuals. In the nose area, the Neandertals have this pulled out face \u2013 it's as though we took a modern face and then pulled it out in the middle. So the face is dominated by this huge nose, and that's accentuated by the cheekbones being swept back, so that's one of the most characteristic features of the Neandertals. And some people believe that's a reflection of adaptation to life in cold conditions, because the Neandertals evolved and lived under conditions colder than the present day.

chris stringer,adaptation to life,human origins,neandertals,primitive humans,nose area,location applications,facial structure,dnai,cold conditions,characteristic features,neandertal,cheekbones,interviewee,missing links,skeletons,fossils,present day,brains,reflection

Related Content

15200. Neandertal anatomy, Chris Stringer

Human origins expert Chris Stringer takes us on a tour of the bones from a Neandertal.

  • ID: 15200
  • Source: DNAi

15199. Features of the Neandertal skull, Chris Stringer

Human origins expert Chris Stringer describes the lower region of a Neandertal's head.

  • ID: 15199
  • Source: DNAi

15196. Modern humans and Neandertals? Chris Stringer

Human origins expert Chris Stringer talks about the relationship between Neandertals and humans.

  • ID: 15196
  • Source: DNAi

15201. Why did the Neandertals go extinct? Chris Stringer

Human origins expert Chris Stringer speculates on the extinction of the Neandertals.

  • ID: 15201
  • Source: DNAi

15194. A common ancestor between us and Neandertal?, Chris Stringer

Human origins expert Chris Stringer talks about Homo heidelbergensis and the Neandertals.

  • ID: 15194
  • Source: DNAi

15191. Sorting out human evolution from physical features, Chris Stringer

Human origins expert Chris Stringer talks about ancient hominids: the australopithecines.

  • ID: 15191
  • Source: DNAi

15192. Who were the earliest humans? Chris Stringer

Human origins expert Chris Stringer talks about the earliest Homo species and his view of their relationships with apes and humans.

  • ID: 15192
  • Source: DNAi

15197. Are Neandertals our ancestors?, Chris Stringer

Human origins expert Chris Stringer talks about if Neandertals are our ancestors

  • ID: 15197
  • Source: DNAi

15195. Homo sapiens (Cro-magnon and modern human), Chris Stringer

Human origins expert Chris Stringer talks about the arrival of Homo sapiens and our possible ancestors.

  • ID: 15195
  • Source: DNAi

15189. Views of human evolution, Chris Stringer

Human origins expert Chris Stringer talks about the beginning of the hominid family tree using an exhibit currently installed at the Dolan DNA Learning Center, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

  • ID: 15189
  • Source: DNAi