Neanderthal brains measure up to ours—literally
Summary
A recent study shows that Neanderthal brain sizes are similar to the range seen in modern humans. The study suggests that brain size is not a good way to measure intelligence, meaning Neanderthals may have been as smart as modern humans.Key Facts
- Neanderthal skulls look different from modern human skulls, but their brain sizes overlap with ours.
- Researchers used MRI scans of 400 modern people’s brains to compare with Neanderthal skull casts.
- Differences in brain size among modern humans are often bigger than differences between Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens.
- Brain size alone does not predict intelligence or cognitive ability well.
- Neanderthals could have had similar thinking and behavior skills as modern humans.
- This study supports ideas that Neanderthals and modern humans may not be very different species.
- Previous studies used small samples and did not account for modern human brain variation.
- The findings align with archaeological evidence showing Neanderthals lived similarly to early humans.
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