Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) are a species of the genus Homo that lived in Europe, the Near East, the Middle East, and Central Asia during the Paleolithic, that is, about 230,000 years ago.
Several studies confirm that this species coexisted with Homo sapiens for many years, leading to interbreeding between them.
Characteristics of Neanderthals:
- Body adapted to glacial cold
- Short stature (1.65 meters tall) and robustness (70 kg in weight)
- Great strength
- Diverse diet
The data on the last Neanderthal man date back approximately 28,000 years, to the south of the Iberian Peninsula. And although the reasons for their extinction are unknown, everything points to the expansion of Homo sapiens and/or a change in climate.