Before this section, most of my knowledge regarding Neanderthals come from intuition after hearing it be used as an insult. Often, I would consider referring to someone as a Neanderthal as insinuating that person is banal in their simplicity or borish in their brute strength yet lacking intelligence. However, after the readings from this week, it can be clearly seen that these things are only vaguely valid when compared to a modern-day human. In their own time, Neanderthals were an immensely evolved and capable species, with a likeness closer to our modern-day selves than to the species that came before them. However, there are enough aspects of both regressive and progressive characteristics present within Neanderthals to make them incredibly valuable when studying human evolution.

One way in which this is conducted is through the paleoanthropological method of fossil evaluation. The study of Neanderthal remains provides a rich detailing regarding its similarities to modern-day humans which distinguishes its species from those who came before it. These traits include an incredibly large brain size, around 1520 cm^3, compared to the cranial capacity of a modern human of around 1350–1400 cm^3. This makes it interesting to note that while a larger brain size is often thought to be a defining factor in intelligence, it is certainly not the only factor. Moreover, the Neanderthal also exhibited a  more rounded cranium, similar to today’s humans, as well as exceedingly large noses and brow bones.

The dental structure of a Neanderthal also contains unique information, including their small molars, which are fused together, and their sizeable front teeth. Many of these features are able to be related to modern-day humans, and thus there are implications of lingering genetic similarities. This relatedness can be further proved by the continued utilization of fossilized remains, as researchers have been able to withdraw DNA from these remains and compare it to modern humans. Doing this allowed the researchers to find evidence of Neanderthal DNA consisting of two to four percent of the genetic makeup of modern humans. The variation seen in this percentage is due to the historic origins of the individual being tested. For example, Neanderthal DNA was found to be more prevalent in those with predominantly European or Asian ancestry than in those with African. Information such as this provides key factors which aid the study of human evolution. Another interesting characteristic regarding Neanderthals is their dental makeup. By analyzing this data, researchers were able to determine that this species seemed to have faster developmental stages than humans. This was concluded due to the study of the remains of a three-year-old Neanderthal who was found to have the cranial anatomy we would expect to find in a modern-day child of around four or five years old.

The contributions made from the study of Neanderthals have been immense and abundant, however, the one which I believe provides the greatest amount of information is the implementation of DNA as a tool to further the data obtainable to be retrieved from a species’ remains. The intersection of fields within the general scope of anthropology allows for a multitude of information to be shared and studied in potentially new methods which may further our understanding of the history of the human race.