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A '''Neanderthal''' is a member of a group of [[humanoid]]s of which many fossils have been found.

A '''Neanderthal''', ''Homo sapiens neanderthalensis'', is a member of a species of extinct humans of which many fossils have been found.

The first fossil humanoid to be identified as such, and the best known, it was named after remains found in the [[Neander]] valley in western [[Germany]] in 1856. ''Neanderthal'' is found throughout [[Europe]] and the [[Near East]].  Neanderthals are associated with the Middle [[Palaeolithic]] [[Mousterian]] tool tradition. <ref>Thieme, Hartmut, "Lower to Middle Paleolithic Hunting Spears, and Lithic Tool Traditions" Archaeology, 13, 2003.</ref>

The first fossil humanoid to be identified as such, and the best known, it was named after remains found in the [[Neander]] valley in western [[Germany]] in 1856. ''Neanderthal'' is found throughout [[Europe]] and the [[Near East]].  Neanderthals are associated with the Middle [[Palaeolithic]] [[Mousterian]] tool tradition. <ref>Thieme, Hartmut, "Lower to Middle Paleolithic Hunting Spears, and Lithic Tool Traditions" Archaeology, 13, 2003.</ref>

{{cquote|No other organisms, either living or fossil, made tools to make other complex tools, buried their dead, had controlled use of fire, practiced religious ceremonies, used complex syntax in their spoken grammar, and played musical instruments, yet we know from their fossils that Neanderthal engaged in all.<ref>http://www.icr.org/article/468/</ref>}}

{{cquote|No other organisms, either living or fossil, made tools to make other complex tools, buried their dead, had controlled use of fire, practiced religious ceremonies, used complex syntax in their spoken grammar, and played musical instruments, yet we know from their fossils that Neanderthal engaged in all.<ref>http://www.icr.org/article/468/</ref>}}

Neanderthals were probably about as intelligent as an average human, they were social creatures living in small tribes, like the humans of their time.  Studies suggest that Neanderthal tribes interacted less with each other than human tribes did. {{fact}}

Neanderthals were probably about as intelligent as an average modern human, they were social creatures living in small tribes, like the other human species of their time.  Studies suggest that Neanderthal tribes interacted less with each other than other tribes did. {{fact}}

Neanderthals had the ability to make fire. They never invented projectile weapons, but relied on spears with limited range, even when facing large animals. It was likely their robust bodies that enabled them to use this hunting style that was considered far too dangerous by humans. {{fact}} A common hunting technique was to drive prey animals off a cliff, or to corner their prey and finish them off with spears, much like today's [[Pygmy|Pygmies]] hunt elephants.{{fact}}

Neanderthals had the ability to make fire. They never invented projectile weapons, but relied on spears with limited range, even when facing large animals. It was likely their robust bodies that enabled them to use this hunting style that was considered far too dangerous by other humans. {{fact}} A common hunting technique was to drive prey animals off a cliff, or to corner their prey and finish them off with spears, much like today's [[Pygmy|Pygmies]] hunt elephants.{{fact}}

Evidence of care for the elderly and the sick has been found in the Shanidar Caves in Iraq,<ref>Neanderthals on Trial ''University of Minnesota, Duluth'' [http://www.d.umn.edu/cla/faculty/troufs/anth1602/video/On_Trial.html]</ref> they also used medicinal plants, made clothes out of animal skins and used stone tools. A find at rock shelters in La Ferrassie, [[France]] indicates elaborate burials, suggesting some sort of [[religion]]<ref>Early Man ''Andy Simmons'' [http://www-staff.it.uts.edu.au/~simmonds/Sophy/early_man.htm]</ref>.

Evidence of care for the elderly and the sick has been found in the Shanidar Caves in Iraq,<ref>Neanderthals on Trial ''University of Minnesota, Duluth'' [http://www.d.umn.edu/cla/faculty/troufs/anth1602/video/On_Trial.html]</ref> they also used medicinal plants, made clothes out of animal skins and used stone tools. A find at rock shelters in La Ferrassie, [[France]] indicates elaborate burials, suggesting some sort of [[religion]]<ref>Early Man ''Andy Simmons'' [http://www-staff.it.uts.edu.au/~simmonds/Sophy/early_man.htm]</ref>.

==History according to Creationists==

==History according to Creationists==

[[Young Earth Creationism|Young Earth Creationists]] believe that Neanderthals were as fully human as we are.<ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v1/n2/worthy-ancestors</ref> This is based on evidence such as:

[[Young Earth Creationism|Young Earth Creationists]] and scientists believe that Neanderthals were as fully human as we are.<ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v1/n2/worthy-ancestors</ref> This is based on evidence such as:

* The brain size of Neanderthal meets or exceeds that of modern humans.

* The brain size of Neanderthal meets or exceeds that of modern humans.

The Institute for Creation Research explains about the DNA evidence:

The Institute for Creation Research explains about the DNA evidence:

{{cquote|The recent recovery of mitochondrial DNA from the right humerus of the Neanderthal remains from Neander Valley near Dusseldorf, Germany, has been of great interest to evolutionists and creationists alike (Krings et al., 1997). Based on the comparison of modern human mt DNA and that taken from the Neanderthal, evolutionists have argued that the "Neanderthal line" diverged from the line of "hominids" leading to modern humans about 600,000 years B.P. without contributing mt DNA to modern Homo sapiens populations. This strongly implies that Neanderthals were a different species from modern humans. However, the above noted interpretation is not scientifically justified. Lubenow (1998) has pointed out that the use of a statistical average of a large modern human sample (994 sequences from 1669 modern humans) compared with the mt DNA sequence from one Neanderthal is not appropriate. Furthermore, the mt DNA sequence differences among modern humans range from 1 to 24 substitutions, with an average of eight substitutions, whereas, the mt DNA sequence differences between modern man and the Neanderthal specimen range from 22 to 36 substitutions, placing Neanderthals, at worst, on the fringes of the modern range. <ref>http://www.icr.org/article/468/</ref>}}

{{cquote|The recent recovery of mitochondrial DNA from the right humerus of the Neanderthal remains from Neander Valley near Düsseldorf, Germany, has been of great interest to evolutionists and creationists alike (Krings et al., 1997). Based on the comparison of modern human mt DNA and that taken from the Neanderthal, evolutionists have argued that the "Neanderthal line" diverged from the line of "hominids" leading to modern humans about 600,000 years B.P. without contributing mt DNA to modern Homo sapiens populations. This strongly implies that Neanderthals were a different species from modern humans. However, the above noted interpretation is not scientifically justified. Lubenow (1998) has pointed out that the use of a statistical average of a large modern human sample (994 sequences from 1669 modern humans) compared with the mt DNA sequence from one Neanderthal is not appropriate. Furthermore, the mt DNA sequence differences among modern humans range from 1 to 24 substitutions, with an average of eight substitutions, whereas, the mt DNA sequence differences between modern man and the Neanderthal specimen range from 22 to 36 substitutions, placing Neanderthals, at worst, on the fringes of the modern range. <ref>http://www.icr.org/article/468/</ref>}}

Harsh conditions due to the [[Ice Age]] after the [[flood|Great flood]] caused human groups to migrate and splinter off to survive.  Neanderthal type traits were best suited for the harsh cold.  Malnutrition and longer life spans could cause features similar to those seen in Neanderthal skeletons. <ref>Neanderthals are still human [http://www.icr.org/article/468/]</ref>

Harsh conditions due to the [[Ice Age]] after the [[flood|Great flood]] caused human groups to migrate and splinter off to survive.  Neanderthal type traits were best suited for the harsh cold.  Malnutrition and longer life spans could cause features similar to those seen in Neanderthal skeletons. <ref>Neanderthals are still human [http://www.icr.org/article/468/]</ref>