Neanderthal

The first fossil humanoid to be identified as such, adn the best known, named after remains found in the Neanderthal valley in western Germany in 1856. Homo (sapians) neanderthalensis is found throughout Europe and the Near East and also the remainder of the Old World in varient forms, during the late Middle and Upper Pleistocene circa 80,000 to 30,000 years ago. Within western Europe the remains are associated with the middle palaeolithic Mousterian stone tool industries that disappeared with the arrival of Cro-magnon man.

Neanderthal man developed from Homo erectus, though the widespread distribution of intermediate form hinders an attempt to resolve any single geographical locality as the place of development. The fate of Neanderthals is equally hard ot determine: they either became assimilated into encrouching human populations or merely died out.

Neanderthal was a fully erect biped of stocky build, with a long low skull, prominant brow ridges and occiputs, adn a jutting face. The popular impression of him as a stooping brute is incorrect and derives from the original poor reconstruction in the Neanderthal valley. It has also been suggested that the first individual found suffered from vitamin D defieiency (rickets) or syphilis.

Neanderthal Man is not considered to be a direct ancestor of modern humans, but their remains are examples of transitional fossils along a subsidary branch.