5 Surprising Ways Neanderthal Were Just Like Us

Neanderthals have been extinct for about 40,000 years, but their legacy lives on within humans. Although we may think of these prehistoric cousins as dim-witted, they were capable of complex thought, communication, and sophisticated technology. Learn more about Homo neanderthalensis below:

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NEANDERTHALS AND EARLY HUMANS INTERBRED. Modern humans outside of Africa have inherited around 2% Neanderthal DNA. Neanderthal DNA may be responsible Source: NHM

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NEANDERTHALS ACTUALLY HAD GREAT POSTURE. Neanderthals stood upright. The myth of the hunched knuckle- draggers came from one Neanderthal skeleton thatSource: NHM

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NEANDERTHALS' VOICES MIGHT HAVE BEEN HIGH-PITCHED AND LOUD. A voice coach analyzed Neanderthal's short voice box, big ribs, wide nasal cavity, and heaSource: Atlas Obscura

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NEANDERTHALS CARED FOR ONE ANOTHER. Archaeologists discovered a skeleton of a neanderthal who was blind, had an amputated arm, and probably couldn't wSource: Smithsonian

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NEANDERTHALS MADE AND WORE 385.1 JEWELRY. Neanderthal jewelry predates jewelry made by Homo sapiens. It's possible they taught early humans how to makRead More: Surprisingly Weird Facts About Ordinary Jewelry