尼安德塔人(Neanderthal)

约10万～3.5万年前的晚更新世时期，生活在欧洲大部分和地中海沿岸的人属种类。「尼安德塔」一名源自1856年在德国尼安德峡谷上方的一个洞穴里第一次发现这种人类的遗骨。有些学者将其划分为尼安德塔人种，学名为Homo neanderthalensis，不认为其为人类直接的祖先，而其他人则认为其为智人的一个亚种，在他们分布的一些地区，可能已被并入现代人总体之中，而在另外一些地区则可能已经绝种。尼安德塔人身材短小、结实而有力。尽管他们的颅壳长、浅且宽，但脑容量却等於或超过现代人。四肢粗笨，但似乎已能完全直立行走，并有和现代人相同的四肢。尼安德塔人是穴居者，使用火，使用石制工具和木制长矛猎取动物，埋葬死者，也照料生病或受伤的人。可能已有语言和奉行某种原始的宗教。亦请参阅Mousterian industry。

English version：

Neanderthal

Species of the genus Homo that inhabited much of Europe and the Mediterranean lands in the late Pleistocene, c. 100,000-35,000 years ago. The name derives from the discovery in 1856 of remains in a cave above Germany's Neander Valley. Some scholars designate the species as Homo neanderthalensis and do not consider them direct human ancestors, while others regard them as a late archaic form of Homo sapiens that was absorbed into modern human populations in some areas while simply dying out in others. Neanderthals were short, stout, and powerful. Cranial capacity equaled or surpassed that of modern humans, though their braincases were long, low, and wide. Their limbs were heavy, but they seem to have walked fully erect and had hands as capable as those of modern humans. They were cave dwellers who used fire, hunted animals using stone tools and wooden spears, buried their dead, and cared for their sick or injured. They probably used language and may have practiced a primitive form of religion. See also Mousterian industry.