A recent study suggests that the differences between Neanderthal and modern human skulls are mostly cosmetic and don’t necessarily reflect differences in brain function. While Neanderthal skulls are longer and lower compared to the rounder skulls of Homo sapiens, MRI scans and endocasts show that Neanderthal brains fit within the range of modern human brain sizes. This indicates that Neanderthals might have been more similar to us than previously thought, challenging the idea that our species outsmarted them. The study highlights that brain size is not a reliable indicator of intelligence, suggesting that Neanderthals could have been just as capable as early humans.
QUESTION: How might understanding the similarities between Neanderthals and modern humans change our perception of human evolution?
Neanderthal brains measure up to ours—literally
