One of the most common questions on this topic is what exactly is a Neanderthal? From an evolutionary point of view, Neanderthals are hominins, so are within the same genus as Homo sapiens – the species to which modern humans belong.
For a long time, it was believed that Neanderthals didn’t have much to do with us, in terms of direct ancestry – they were more of a branch, like cousins. That has changed now; it is understood that Neanderthals, at least in part, did contribute to our genetic legacy. That’s where they sit in an evolutionary sense.
In fact, Neanderthals were the first hominins that we realised hominins. They’ve
