Neanderthals different in north, south

Remains of 43,000-year-old Neanderthals found in southern Europe had broader faces than their northern counterparts, Spanish and British researchers say.

By Space Daily Editorial Team · Editorial process

Published December 20, 2006 · Updated March 15, 2026

Remains of 43,000-year-old Neanderthals found in southern Europe had broader faces than their northern counterparts, Spanish and British researchers say.

Researchers analyzed the mandibles of Neanderthals discovered in Spain near El Sidron, revealing the variations. The southern European Neanderthals had broader faces with “increased lower facial heights,” said Markus Bastir, with the functional morphology and evolution research unit of Hull York Medical School in Britain.

“This revealed an astonishing North-South morphological gradient and gives us an idea of typically Southern European Neanderthal facial shape,” Bastir said.

The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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