Neanderthals

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Kissing May Be 21M Years Old
Kissing May Have Been
for Our Way-Back Ancestors
NEW STUDY
Nov 19, 2025 11:50 AM CST

Kissing May Have Been for Our Way-Back Ancestors

Practice likely originated with a common ancestor of all large apes, researchers find

(Newser) - Humans spend a lot more time kissing than they do thinking about why they kiss. But scientists intrigued by this question say the practice, which has no real survival or reproductive benefit, is built into us, likely originating with the common ancestor of humans and other great apes upward of...

Ancient Skull May Rewrite Human Origins
Ancient Skull May
Rewrite Human Origins
new study
Sep 26, 2025 8:26 AM CDT

Ancient Skull May Rewrite Human Origins

New analysis points to early coexistence with Neanderthals and others

(Newser) - An ancient skull unearthed in China may push back the origins of our species by half a million years, challenging long-held beliefs about when—and with whom—early humans roamed the Earth, reports the BBC . The research published in Science suggests Homo sapiens coexisted with Neanderthals and other relatives...

We Might've Underestimated Neanderthal Toolmaking
We Might've Underestimated
Neanderthal Toolmaking
NEW STUDY
May 12, 2025 8:32 AM CDT

We Might've Underestimated Neanderthal Toolmaking

New analysis suggests 'sophisticated' spears were wielded by Neanderthals, not their ancestors

(Newser) - A set of wooden spears long thought to be among the world's oldest hunting weapons may actually be a bit younger than scientists previously believed, and possibly the work of Neanderthals rather than their ancestors. The spears, made from spruce and pine, were unearthed in a German coal...

For Modern Humans, Neanderthals Were a Lifeline
For Modern Humans,
Neanderthals Were a Lifeline
NEW STUDY
Dec 13, 2024 12:13 PM CST

For Modern Humans, Neanderthals Were a Lifeline

We might not have survived without them, genomes reveal

(Newser) - Modern humans didn't physically overcome Neanderthals to emerge as the dominant human species. Instead, Homo sapiens mated with Neanderthals, and new research suggests it was only due to interbreeding between the two species that Homo sapiens—now with inherited genes that helped them adapt to life in Eurasia—found...

Site Highlights Early Humans' Mastery of Wood, Largely Lost

Spear Horizon site shows evidence of splitting, carving wood 300K years ago

(Newser) - The Stone Age, launched roughly 3 million years ago, marks the time when tools first appeared. Early humans used stones for hammering, stones for grinding, and sharp stone flakes as knives and projectile points. But the Stone Age might just as well be called the Wood Age, German archaeologist Thomas...

Morning People Tend to Have Neanderthal Genes
Neanderthal Genes Linked
to Being a Morning Person
NEW STUDY
Dec 14, 2023 10:45 AM CST

Neanderthal Genes Linked to Being a Morning Person

Ancient species evolved to deal with shorter days, researchers say

(Newser) - Early to bed, early to rise? Your genetic makeup might be a surprise. Researchers studying hundreds of genes that influence the body clock say people with some Neanderthal or Denisovan genes were much more likely to self-report being "morning people," the Guardian reports. When modern humans expanded out...

Neanderthal Genes Suspected in Severe COVID Cases
Neanderthal Genes Suspected
in Severe COVID Cases
NEW STUDY
Sep 22, 2023 11:45 AM CDT

Neanderthal Genes Suspected in Severe COVID Cases

Study looks at a hard-hit city in Italy

(Newser) - Individuals who suffer a severe COVID-19 infection may perhaps blame genes inherited from our cousins the Neanderthals. A new study focused on the northern Italian city of Bergamo, an early epicenter found to have one of the world's highest COVID-19 death rates, links a set of DNA variants, or...

We Got Bigger Noses From Neanderthals
We Got Bigger Noses
From Neanderthals
New Study
May 8, 2023 12:17 PM CDT

We Got Bigger Noses From Neanderthals

Researchers detect a genetic link, suggest the larger noses helped with colder climates

(Newser) - Scientists have made a fascinating discovery revealing more about human and Neanderthal interactions in prehistory: a gene that affects the size of our noses actually comes from our Neanderthal cousins, per Phys.org . One theory is that our predecessors developed larger noses to better adapt to colder climates as...

Finding Puts 'Extra Nail in the Coffin' on Neanderthal Theory

Prehistoric humans loved a good roasted crab, dispelling notion they didn't enjoy seafood

(Newser) - Prehistoric humans may not have had Red Lobster or Long John Silver's, but that doesn't mean they didn't enjoy a good seafood sit-down as much as their modern-day relatives. In fact, scientists have determined that Neanderthals quite enjoyed crab, which they caught by the shore, then roasted...

DNA Analysis Reveals Neanderthal Family Ties

Father, daughter were among 11 found in Siberian cave

(Newser) - The tragic demise of a group of Neanderthals in a cave in Siberia more than 50,000 years ago has given researchers fascinating evidence of our ancient relatives' family ties. DNA analysis has revealed that many of the six adults and five children were close relatives, including a father and...

'Neanderthal Pompeii' Upends Theories on Replacement by Humans
Cave Find 'Literally Rewrites
All Our Books of History'
in case you missed it
Feb 13, 2022 1:45 PM CST

Cave Find 'Literally Rewrites All Our Books of History'

Site repeatedly changed hands between Neanderthals, Homo sapiens

(Newser) - A cave in southern France that one researcher calls a Neanderthal Pompeii has upended theories about how our species replaced the earlier hominid species in Europe tens of thousands of years ago. Scientists had thought Homo sapiens arrived in western Europe around 40,000 and quickly wiped out the Neanderthals,...

Is a Neanderthal's Carving the Oldest Art in the World?

Researchers say the bone fragment shows capacity for symbolism

(Newser) - A tiny object with no practical use has researchers all worked up. It’s a fragment of bone 2 inches long with deep marks carved into it found in a Neanderthal cave, and it might be the world’s oldest piece of art. The bone, thought to be 51,000...

What Researchers Just Did in This Cave Is a Marvel
What Researchers Just Did
in This Cave Is a Marvel
NEW STUDY
Jun 25, 2021 10:57 AM CDT

What Researchers Just Did in This Cave Is a Marvel

It's most comprehensive study of ancient DNA extracted from sediment at single site

(Newser) - As far as caves go, Siberia's Denisova Cave is a super prominent one, the place where scientists confirmed the existence of a species of hominins (we're one, as are Neanderthals) known as the Denisovans. But the prehistoric treasures the cave has given up have been few—just eight...

Remains of 9 Neanderthals Found, an 'Extraordinary Discovery'

Ancient landslide preserved fossils in caves near Rome

(Newser) - A major new discovery at a familiar prehistoric site was announced Saturday by Italy. Archaeologists have found the remains of nine Neanderthal men in Grotta Guattari, prehistoric caves near the Tyrrhenian Sea between Rome and Naples that were discovered—accidently, by workers—in 1939. The nation's culture minister called...

Neanderthal Thumbs Weren't Quite the Same as Ours
We Don't Use Our Thumbs
the Way Neanderthals Did
NEW STUDY
Nov 27, 2020 9:51 AM CST

We Don't Use Our Thumbs the Way Neanderthals Did

Fossils suggest they regularly gripped handled tools

(Newser) - If you happen to travel back in time and encounter an angry Neanderthal, be sure to request a thumb war, rather than a full-blown one. According to new research, Neanderthals' hands were different than our own, with a thumb that stuck out at a wider angle than what you see...

Neanderthal Genes Are COVID Risk Factor
People With Neanderthal
Genes Hit Harder by COVID
NEW STUDY
Sep 30, 2020 1:24 PM CDT

People With Neanderthal Genes Hit Harder by COVID

Researcher say it's a major risk factor

(Newser) - Scientists say genes that some people have inherited from their Neanderthal ancestors may increase their likelihood of suffering severe forms of COVID-19. A study by European scientists published Wednesday by the journal Nature examined a cluster of genes that have been linked to a higher risk of hospitalization and respiratory...

50K Years Ago, Neanderthals Were Making String

Find hints at other abilities

(Newser) - It looked like a white splotch on the underside of a Neanderthal stone tool. But a microscope showed it was a bunch of fibers twisted around each other. Further examination revealed it was the first direct evidence that Neanderthals could make string, and the oldest known direct evidence for string-making...

Scientists Recreate Skull of Mysterious Neanderthal Cousin

DNA analysis yielded clues on Denisovans

(Newser) - Scientists say they've deciphered features of the skull and some other details of a mysterious, extinct cousin of Neanderthals by analyzing its DNA. The genetic material came from the finger bone of a female member of the Denisovans, a population known mostly from small bone fragments and teeth recovered...

'Incredibly Rare': Extinct Wolf DNA Turns Up in Texas

Canines on Galveston Island could be red wolf-coyote hybrid

(Newser) - The red wolf was declared effectively extinct in the American wild almost 40 years ago, but, like the Neanderthal, it lives on in descendants still thriving today. That's the welcome discovery revealed in a study in Genes , which found a substantial amount of red wolf DNA in two road-kill...

Humans of the Era as Prone to Violence as Neanderthals
200 Skulls Suggest Neanderthal
Stereotype Is Wrong
NEW STUDY
Nov 15, 2018 10:20 AM CST

200 Skulls Suggest Neanderthal Stereotype Is Wrong

Early modern humans just as prone to violence: study

(Newser) - The perception of Neanderthals as big, stupid oafs has been mostly debunked . Now, a new study is helping buck another stereotype depicting the human relatives as especially prone to violence. The idea stems from trauma, particularly to the head and neck, visible among Neanderthal remains. When researchers compiled reports on...

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