Neanderthals had very distinct features in which they had distinct features and lived in ice age areas. They dealt with both natural selection, extreme environments, a genetic drift which occurred within small populations. This meant that Neanderthals looked very different compared to other groups in the area. They had large brains in fact larger than humans and heidelbergensis. They have rounded cranial and occipital bun on the back of their skull. They have large faces, backward sloped chins, and really large noses. Their bones alone teach scientists about their lifestyle like how their bone thickness told them about their rough and active lifestyle. Neanderthals have small femurs and short tibias that are similar to modern groups that are adapted to cold climates. Scientists also looked at there different behaviors. Although they were pretty advanced compared to others they were not as creative. When it came to shelters they observed that they had created shelters through using natural resources like rocks. Since there living areas were so old they didn’t have very long lives. They recently even discovered the gene called FOXP2 which indicates that they have the same gene that humans have for speech so it is likely that they were able to speak. Researchers have learned a lot from the neanderthal gene like they were able to reconstruct their complete genome. This helped researchers compare there genome to the human genome. This helped show the similarities and differences between neanderthals and humans. In fact, they learned that the last common ancestor between the two was between 700,000 and 516,000 kya. They were even able to find some evidence of cross-breeding. Studying neanderthals helped us learn if our assumptions were true or not. The fossil remains help us discover how they lived in the past, what kind of areas they stayed in, and what traits they carried. Looking at their fossils helped us understand why their bodies were built differently because they needed to adapt to the ice age. Through all of this research, we also learned why they lived shorter lives as their shelter was not very good. Studying and learning about fossils helps us learn why our bodies are built a certain way and why so many different species use different techniques to get things. These studies show us how it is that we have evolved and how much we have changed over time. This shows us how we have changed things over time to be more efficient and have longer lives. This shows us to do more research so we may see what techniques have worked in the past and if they didn’t work what changes we may be able to make. It’s also important because it helps us learn about extinct organisms and what kind of environments that they lived in. It shows us how our bodies and shapes are all different for the means of survival. Every organism has different features and characteristics that help them survive. This may include how they walk, talk, move, and live in society.