In August 1856, in the Neander Valley, in Germany, the skull and bones of a strange man were discovered.
These remains are very different from the bones of present-day man. A new species of man had just been discovered: Neanderthal!
Is it our ancestor?
No, Neanderthal is not Homo sapiens, like us.
His physique is different: his body is short and stocky, with thicker bones, and a low forehead with bushy eyebrows and no chin.
But Neanderthal and Homo sapiens lived at the same time. Over 40,000 years ago, Europe was divided between these 2 species.
A bit less than 10,000 years later, Neanderthal died out.
How? Why? Certain scientists think he was less of a fighter than his cousin, Homo sapiens.
And therefore Homo sapiens conquered Europe, leading to the extinction of Neanderthal.
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