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I'm not sure about how much we know of musculature and fat layers of neanderthals. Working from skeletons of non-humans can be really fraught.


Neanderthals are humans.


Neanderthals are a distinct species. If "human" in the context you are using it is confined to Homo sapiens then no, Neanderthals are not human. If your definition of human is anything in the genus homo then yes, Neanderthals are human.


Neanderthals are considered archaich humans, they were humans. Homo sapiens are modern humans.

I guess it can be argued that early archaich humans can barely be considered humans, but neanderthals were close enough to sapiens to interbred.


> Neanderthals are a distinct species

"Species" and "genus" are human (hey-o) concepts that we impose on the natural world to try and understand it, and ultimately this depends on who you ask.




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