The Daily The Sunday Daily: We Underestimated the Neanderthal
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Jan 25, 2026 
Franz Lidz, archaeology and culture reporter who writes about human origins, and Carl Zimmer, science writer covering evolution and genomics, explore shifting views of Neanderthals. They trace how early finds shaped stereotypes. They discuss DNA breakthroughs, interbreeding, cultural behaviors, Denisovans and what these discoveries reveal about human identity.
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Neanderthals As A Separate Human Branch
- Neanderthals split from our lineage about 600,000 years ago and flourished across Europe and parts of Asia for hundreds of thousands of years.
- They disappeared roughly 40,000 years ago but remain a distinct branch of the human family tree.
The Bad Reconstruction That Shaped Perception
- The Old Man of La Chapelle reconstruction misrepresented Neanderthals as bent and apelike because of injuries and arthritis.
- That single flawed reconstruction anchored a caricature of Neanderthals for generations.
Neanderthal Genome Changed Everything
- By improving methods scientists recovered a full Neanderthal genome by 2010 from fossil DNA.
- Comparing that genome revealed substantial overlap with modern human DNA, changing how we view Neanderthal cognition.
