Neanderthal brains were adapted to allow them to see better and maintain larger bodies, which left less room for higher level thinking needed to socialise, eventually leading to their extinction, scientists claim.
According to new research by the University of Oxford and the Natural History Museum, London, although Neanderthals’ brains were similar in size to their contemporary modern human counterparts, fresh analysis of fossil data suggests that their brain structure was rather different.
In a subset of these fossils, they found that Neanderthals had significantly larger eye sockets, and therefore eyes, than modern humans.
According to new research by the University of Oxford and the Natural History Museum, London, although Neanderthals’ brains were similar in size to their contemporary modern human counterparts, fresh analysis of fossil data suggests that their brain structure was rather different.
In a subset of these fossils, they found that Neanderthals had significantly larger eye sockets, and therefore eyes, than modern humans.