Neanderthal

Neanderthals were close relatives of modern humans. They lived in Europe and western Asia from about 400,000 years ago until about 40,000 years ago. They are named after the Neander Valley in Germany, where some of their bones were found in 1856. Neanderthals had short, strong bodies that helped them survive the cold of the Ice Age. They made sharp stone tools, used fire, wore clothing and hunted large animals like mammoths and deer. They took care of each other: some skeletons show injuries that healed, which means others helped them. When modern humans spread out of Africa, they met the Neanderthals, and the two groups sometimes had children together. That is why many people alive today still carry a little Neanderthal DNA.

Key facts

• Neanderthals lived in Europe and western Asia during the Ice Age.
• They made stone tools, used fire and hunted large animals.
• Many people today have a small amount of Neanderthal DNA.