<h5>Who were the Neanderthals?</h5>  <p>Neanderthals are the closest extinct human relatives that we have. Their skulls had a big middle part of the face, angled cheekbones, and a massive nose. So that they could survive in colder environments, their bodies were shorter and stockier than ours.</p>
<p>Neanderthals created and used various tools, lived in shelters, knew how to make a fire, ate plant foods, made and wore clothes, etc. They were also skilled hunters of large animals. Evidence shows that they even buried their dead carefully and marked their graves with offerings like flowers.</p>
<p>This had never been observed in other monkeys or previous human species. The first specimen identified as an early human fossil was Neanderthal 1. It was discovered in 1856 in Germany and in 1864 it was given a name. The term “Homo neanderthalensis” was suggested by geologist William King.</p> <h5>Where did the Neanderthals live?</h5> <figure>
        <img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/newsahoot.appspot.com/o/neanderthals-and-humans-coexisted-in-europe%2FRange_of_NeanderthalsAColoured.png?alt=media&token=65da7d4d-7d4f-4bd6-a4ff-f8c419351acc" alt="Where did the Neanderthals live?" >
        <figcaption>Neanderthals lived in parts of Europe and western Asia. Photo by Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0.</figcaption>
      </figure> <p>Neanderthals evolved in Europe and Asia, whereas modern humans (Homo sapiens) evolved in Africa. Neanderthals were well-established in Europe according to fossil evidence from Sima de los Huesos in northern Spain and Swanscombe in Kent, England. The species lived all over Eurasia, from Portugal and Wales in the west to the Altai Mountains located in Siberia in the east.</p>
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<p>Neanderthals could adapt easily, existing in cold regions in England and Siberia around 60,000 years ago and also in warm regions in Spain and Italy around 120,000 years ago. The oldest known Neanderthal fossils date back roughly 430,000 years.</p>
<p>The most well-known Neanderthals lived between 130,000 and 40,000 years ago, after which their evidence vanished. Recent research has found that Neanderthals and humans co-existed in Europe.
</p> <h5>What does the new research say?</h5>  <p>According to a recent study, Neanderthals and humans co-existed in France and northern Spain for up to 2,900 years. This gave them enough time to learn from or even breed with one another.</p>
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<p>The study, published in the journal “Scientific Reports,” did not provide evidence that humans interacted with Neanderthals directly 42,000 years ago. However, early research has shown that they must have done so at some time.</p>
<p>The research team knew that humans and Neanderthals co-existed in Europe, but the specific regions where this happened are unknown. Also, when this happened is not known. However, early fossil evidence suggests that modern humans and Neanderthals co-existed on Earth for thousands of years.
</p> <h5>How was the study conducted?</h5>  <p>The researchers examined radiocarbon dating for 56 artefacts from 17 locations in France and northern Spain. 28 of the artefacts belonged to Neanderthals and 28 to humans. The artefacts included bones and stone knives said to have been crafted by some of the region's last Neanderthals.</p>
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Their study found that Neanderthals in the region became extinct between 40,870 and 40,457 years ago, whereas modern humans first appeared approximately 42,500 years ago. This means that the two species lived side by side in the region for 1,400 to 2,900 years (that’s a long time!).
</p> <h5>What did we learn from this article?</h5>  <p>From this article, we can learn about the history of Neanderthals and humans. Learning about the different species of humans that existed before we did can help us understand and appreciate the history of humankind. This article also teaches us that even different species can co-exist together.</p>
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Do you think Neanderthals and humans could have been friends? Let us know in the comments below!
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Neanderthals became extinct thousands of years ago. But, recent research suggests that Neanderthals and humans co-existed for a period of time. Let’s read to find out more.

Neanderthals and Humans Co-existed in Europe

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