Is our species special? Some people think we are completely different to animals. But there were once other types of humans, and they were more cleverer than we realised.
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Fire starters, builders: meet the Neanderthals
Is our species special? Some people think we are completely different to animals. But there were once other types of humans, and they were more cleverer than we realised.
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What's happening?
A boy in France explored a cave. He found rocks broken up and put into rings. Now, scientists think they were put there 176,500 years ago by NeanderthalsAn extinct hominid species that lived alongside Homo sapiens until around 40,000 years ago. Their ancestry began in Africa, like ours, but neanderthals migrated to Europe and Asia long before humans. They looked like us but were shorter and stockier with angled cheekbones, prominent brows and wide noses. .
Neanderthals are our closest relatives, but they do not exist anymore. In fact, they died out about 40,000 years ago. They are extinctA species that no longer has any living members..
Neandethals had big arms and large foreheads but no chin. People once thought that neanderthals were not very clever.
Find out more
But now scientists know more about them. Today, we know that they started fires, made tools, created art and looked after sick people.
For a while, modern humans and Neanderthals even lived together at the same time.
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Are humans special?
Yes! We are different from other animals. Today, humans care about more than just surviving. We work together, learn from each other and can do both good and bad things.
No! Humans are very clever, but so were Neanderthals - probably. We are not as specia las we think we are.
Keywords
Neanderthals - An extinct hominid species that lived alongside Homo sapiens until around 40,000 years ago. Their ancestry began in Africa, like ours, but neanderthals migrated to Europe and Asia long before humans. They looked like us but were shorter and stockier with angled cheekbones, prominent brows and wide noses.
Extinct - A species that no longer has any living members.
Fire starters, builders: meet the Neanderthals
Mysterious find: Most of the 400 broken stalagmites had been arranged into two rings. © PA Glossary
Neanderthals - An extinct hominid species that lived alongside Homo sapiens until around 40,000 years ago. Their ancestry began in Africa, like ours, but neanderthals migrated to Europe and Asia long before humans. They looked like us but were shorter and stockier with angled cheekbones, prominent brows and wide noses.
Extinct - A species that no longer has any living members.