Neanderthals vs. Cro-Magnons

Cro-Magnons

Neanderthals

Cro-Magnon Lifestyle

Neanderthals vs. Cro-Magnons

Cro-Magnons had great mental capacity, which gave them the ability to use advanced hunting tools and skills to kill their prey. When they moved into Europe, they mostly lived in limestone caves to keep warm. In prehistoric times, Europe was a very cold place, a lot more cold than it is today. They made their own paint and painted the walls of their caves. They even developed a rudimentary burial ritual. Cro-Magnon bones have been found in many different places such as, Europe, Middle East, and as far south as Brazil. The first Cro-Magnon fossil was found in France in 1868.

Neanderthal Lifestyle

Neanderthals are mostly considered "cave men" because their fossils were mostly found in caves. It is thought that the Neanderthal population was only 7,000 and the female Neanderthals were set at 3,500. They were highly carnivorous, but they did eat other foods too. They were creatures of habit, which means that they acted on a strict schedule and didn't travel very far from their homes. This made it hard for them to survive.

Cro-Magnons were a prehistoric version of Homo Sapiens. They were almost exactly like modern day humans. Cro-Magnons had a very diverse culture and posessed great mental capacity. Approximately 35,000 years ago, they moved into Neanderthal territory, which is modern day France. They were known as the earliest known example of modern day humans.

Neanderthals are another one of our ancestors. They originated in Africa, but migrated to Eurasia long before any humans did. They emerged between 200,000 and 300,000 years ago. The first Neanderthal fossil was discovered in 1856 at Neander Valley, Germany. They lived during the Ice Age. They had a wider nose to help humidify the cold air and keep themselves warm. They were short and stocky compared to Cro-Magnons, but this adaptation was to keep them warm, just like their wide noses. They even had bigger brains than Cro-Magnons, but Cro-Magnons were smarter. This is because Neanderthal brains were bigger and didn't have enough space for cognitive abilties like the Cro-Magnons did.

Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons are two ancestors of ours that lived in the same time period. Although Neanderthals died out before the Cro-Magnons, they still had a diverse culture as well. The Cro-Magnons existed longer than the Neanderthals, but that doesn't mean that they were superior to them.

Cro-Magnons

Neanderthals

Work Cited

www.nhm.9c.uk/nature-online/life/human-origins/early-human-family/neanderthals/

hoopermuseum.earthsci.carlton.ca/neanderthal/n-burial.html

www.livescience.com/28036-neanderthals-facts-about-our-extinct-human-relative.html

http://metalfloss.com/article/19428/neanderthal-vs.-cro-magnon-whats-difference

http://members.optusnet.com.au/bnbg6billion/6billionhistory.htm

http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-fossils/fossils/cro-magnon-1

Both of these ancestors were semi-nomadic. They both hunted animals for food. Both of them had fairly developed brains for the time that they lived. Tools were a common thing for both of these species. They even co-existed for a period of time. They both buried their dead in a ritualistic fashion. Their skulls were similar, but Neanderthals had bigger bodies, which meant bigger skulls.

Cro-Magnons

& Neanderthals