Homo erectus becomes extinct, with the known…

Homo erectus becomes extinct, with the known exception of Solo Man in Indonesia, by around 200,000 BCE, while Earth’s only remaining hominid, Homo sapiens Neanderthalensis, or Neanderthal Man, has spread into Europe and the Middle East.

The Neandertals, unlike Homo erectus, have brains similar in size to—or possible larger than—those of modern humans, although Neandertal brains are lighter in front and heavier in back.

They match modern humans in body weight, but are generally shorter, stockier and more muscular.

Although similar in appearance to modern humans, Neandertals have the large teeth, pronounced eyebrow ridges, protuberant jaws, receding chin, and sloping forehead associated with Homo erectus.

The similarity of their tongue bones to those of modern humans suggests that the Neandertals are fully capable of speech.

The Neandertals are the first hominids (as far as is known) to bury their dead and to actively care for aged and crippled members of their communities.

The fact that Neandertal graves contain food indicates a belief in some form of afterlife, although no grave goods have turned up.

Like previous members of the genus Homo, they have tamed fire and use it to roast meat and other foods.

The large animals hunted by the Neandertals include the giant cave bears, the mammoth, and the woolly rhinoceros.

Neandertaler stone implements represent distinct improvement over the tools of Homo erectus: more delicate, more precise, and more varied.

No artwork has been discovered in association with Neandertal sites.