Neanderthal male
A carefully reconstructed
adult male body, based on the skeleton recently
assembled by G.J. Sawyer and
B. Maley. The bones of Neanderthals
show that
individuals were broad and heavily muscled:
the bones are extremely dense, with
very large joint surfaces, which along
with heavy muscle scarring are indicators
of heavy loading throughout life. The
stocky shape of the Neanderthal body is
consistent with typical cold-climate
adaptations (along with the broad nose and
extensive sinus system), as well as being
well suited for tackling big prey by
hand. The barrel body is an interesting
contrast with the slender Homo sapiens
sapiens.