A century of paleontological research has refined our perceptions of what aspects of their skeletal anatomy are unique to the Neandertals (a few traits of the nose and the back of the skull), which ones were inherited by them from their ancestors (most features of the skeleton which distinguish them from modern humans), which features are different from the ancestral state and shared with modern humans (such as brain size and the reduction of their facial massiveness), and which ones result from a unique combination of ancestral and modern traits (such as their overall facial shape and details of the cheek region).
(A century of paleontological research; has refined; our perceptions of what aspects of their skeletal anatomy) (most features of the skeleton which distinguish them from modern humans), which features; shared; with modern humans (such as brain size and the reduction of their facial massiveness) (most features of the skeleton which distinguish them from modern humans; features; ) (most features of the skeleton which distinguish them from modern humans), which features; are; different from the ancestral state)
A century of paleontological research most features of the skeleton which distinguish them from modern humans), which features most features of the skeleton which distinguish them from modern humans most features of the skeleton which distinguish them from modern humans), which features
has refined shared features are
our perceptions of what aspects of their skeletal anatomy
with modern humans (such as brain size and the reduction of their facial massiveness
different from the ancestral state