Neanderthal

**Neanderthal** (*Homo neanderthalensis* or *H. sapiens neanderthalensis*), also called **Neandertal**, commonly referred to as **Cavemen** is a genus of archaic human that lived in Eurasia during the Late Pleistocene. They were one of the successful human species that walked the earth due to their stocky built bodies and larger brains.

In the Series 3 finale "***Mammoth's Undertaking Journey***", Neanderthals are one of the human species Allen and the group encounter during their rescue mission. While traveling in Late Pleistocene Europe 50,000 years ago, a hunting party of Neanderthals were seen hunting a herd of Woolly Mammoths, however they didn't notice the team's presents. Later while traveling through Siberia 150,000 years, a male Neanderthal named Turok was gathering firewood until he got injured by a male Woolly Rhinoceros. After getting capturing the rhino, Rebecca heals Turok much to Allen's reluctants and formed a friendship with her. Turok and his tribe followed the team through the portal. They became to learn about life in the 21st century and formed a friendship with a Cro-Magnon tribe despite a rough start.

In the same episode shortly before the Cro-Magnon tribe followed the team through the portal while traveling Siberia 40,000 years ago, a group of Neanderthals attacked the team with muscular member of the group grabbing Rebecca by her neck and lifted her off the ground.

## Facts

### Era & Discovery

*Neanderthal* lived in Eurasia during the Late Pleistocene period from 300 to 40,000 years ago. They shared the landscape with other hominids like Cro-Magnons and other Ice Age animals such as Megaloceros, Woolly Rhinoceros, Cave Lions, Cave Hyenas, Arctotherium, Cave Bears, Elasmotherium, and even the mighty Woolly Mammoths. They were one of the most successful species in human history, but gradually they were squeezed and we were left as the only species to two legged ape on Earth.

The first record of *Neanderthal* originates in 1856, when the top of a skull, two femurs, and arm bones were found in the Neander Valley in Germany, by limestone quarry miners who gave them to school teacher Johann Carl Fuhlrott. Since the discovery scientists first believed Neanderthals were savage cave-dwelling brutes wielding a club which to them being called Cavemen. Recent studies found that Neanderthals had a larger brain than modern humans and the ability of speech.

### Physical Attributes

Neanderthal was a species of human who stood 5.5 feet (1.65 m) tall, and weighed about 64.9 kilograms (143 Ibs.), making them 5½ shorter than us.

Neanderthals had evolved a trait characteristic of all animals that lived in their environment, and short limbs and extremities that helped valuable heat in their bodies. They also had another adaptation that helped them survive in their cold environment and came into it's own when Neanderthals were hard at work. It was their noses which was broad and bigger than ours and scientists think that they were designed not to help keep Neanderthals warm, but to cool them down. In the environment they lived in might have seemed odd, but the last thing that a Neanderthal wanted to do was overheat and sweat because sweat would have simply freezed. Their brains were also larger than ours, which made Neanderthals an intelligent species despite their physical appearance.

Rather than migrate south with other animals, Neanderthals stayed within the same valleys all year long, weathering out the worse of the winter in shallow caves they lived in. It was forchante for them as they were stronger and more heavily built than other hominid species they coexisted with, that meant that Neanderthals were capable of shrugging off incredible extremes, thing that we would have found unbearable. Additionally, one individual was so strong he grasped Rebecca Slatter by her neck and singlehandedly lifted her off her feet while strangling her.

For Neanderthals, animals migrating north were one of the most important times of a year and risked life and limb to hunt them. To take on big animals like Mammoths and Elasmotherium, they needed every advantage could get. Sometimes they waited until dusk when cliffs would become less visible to animals and could make effective use of Neanderthal's secret weapon: fire. Other times, they would narrow up to a steep ravine which was the perfect place for ambushing big animals that pass through. Unlike Cro-Magnons who could throw spears to attack an animal, Neanderthal used their spears to kill animals at close quarters and were unless for throwing.

#### Behavior & Traits

Neanderthals often lived in tribes and there was a lot about the way they were that is just like us such as their preasure at being reunited with members of their family, their contentment at being warm and well fed, perhaps even their amusement at someone's misfortune.

The way of life Neanderthals had during the Ice Age, made these hominids unimaginably tough. Also whilst they could plan an ambush or anticipate the birth of a new baby, flights of fancy, imaginative thinking that we do were simply beyond this human species and wouldn't have understood it.

## Journal Entry

Neanderthals had seemed capable of shrugging off incredible extremes, things that modern humans would have found unbearable. Their short limbs and extremities helped keep valuable heat inside Neanderthals' bodies. Their way of life during the Ice Age made Neanderthals unimaginably tough. An X-ray of their bodies would have revealed a catalogue of fractures from head to toe, much like the body of a rodeo rider.

For Neanderthals, animals migrating north were one of most important times of year and risked life and limbs to hunt them. Sometimes they waited until dusk when cliffs were less visable and could made effective use of their secret weapon, fire. Othertimes Neanderthals used steep ravines so they could ambush big animals such as Mammoths and Elasmotherium. They were pleasure at being reunited other members of their group much like modern humans, but imaginative thinking that modern human do were simply beyond them and simply wouldn't understood it, which meant being strong and tough was enough for Neanderthals.

However for all of their skill and toughness, Neanderthals were no match for imaginative newcoming Cro-Magnons that were spreading throughout Europe when Homo Sapiens were beginning to spread across the world. Their kind were one of the most successful species in human history, but gradually Neanderthals were squeezed out leaving modern humans as the only species of two-legged ape left on the planet.

## Gallery

A Neanderthal being chased by a Woolly Rhinoceros.A Neanderthal tribe stalking a herd of Woolly Mammoths.A Neanderthal gathering wood for a fire.A female Neanderthal observing a group of Cro-Magnons passing by her cave while she make jewlery.A Neanderthal tribe hunting a herd of Woolly Mammoths.
## Trivia

* Neanderthals are the first archaic humans to live in the park.