Recent studies have shed new light on the Neanderthals, challenging the long-held belief that they were less developed than Homo sapiens. Neanderthals, who were the closest relatives of modern humans, emerged approximately 430 thousand years ago and coexisted with Homo sapiens until their extinction around 40 thousand years ago. While it is widely believed that Homo sapiens may have played a role in their disappearance, the exact reasons remain unclear.
The perception of Neanderthals as “stupid” has been largely based on comparative research with modern humans. For instance, an analysis of 32 Homo sapiens skulls and 13 Neanderthal skulls revealed differences in brain structure, indicating that Neanderthals had a large portion of the brain devoted to vision. This may have been linked to their physical features, such as larger eyes and body size, but could have limited their capacity for complex social interactions.
Contrary to popular stereotypes, which portray Neanderthals as primitive and awkward, some scientists argue that a fairer comparison would be with early Homo sapiens rather than present-day humans. This approach offers a more nuanced understanding of Neanderthals’ capabilities and challenges the misconceptions surrounding their intelligence.
A recent research published in the journal Science explored the impact of Neanderthal genes on cognitive abilities by introducing them into the brains of ferrets, mice, and “mini-brain” organoids derived from human stem cells. The study found that brain cells with Neanderthal DNA developed at a slower rate, suggesting a potential difference in cognitive potential compared to Homo sapiens.
While the findings hint at the possibility of lower cognitive abilities in Neanderthals, the authors caution that more research is needed to conclusively determine the intelligence of Neanderthals. Despite losing out to Homo sapiens, there is currently insufficient scientific evidence to support the prevailing notion of Neanderthals’ diminished intelligence perpetuated in popular culture.