Homo neanderthalensis

Homo neanderthalensis one of five human species in A New Dawn. Despite a rocky history, even being near extinction, the neanderthals have endured. They are far more numerous than in our timeline, have a great number of sub-species, and they dominate both Europe and South America.

Characteristics
For information on the characteristics of Homo neanderthalensis amazonae, Homo neanderthalensis bothane, Homo neanderthalensis incae, Homo neanderthalensis macaronesia, and Homo neanderthalensis peruvia see their respective pages.

The regular neanderthal/west european neanderthal have similar characteristics and appearence as those in our timeline. Neanderthals have more robust and stockier builds than Homo Sapiens, wider and barrel-shaped rib cages; wider pelvises; and proportionally shorter forearms and forelegs. The average male stand 164 to 168 cm tall, with the average female standing 152 to 156 cm tall. Unlike the endurance running Homo Sapiens and Homo Americanis the neanderthals are much more suited to sprinting.

Due to their vocal chords being placed higher than other human species, the Neanderthals have high pitched voices, and can't pronounciate as many vowel sounds as other hominids. While each Neanderthal sub-species have developded their own unique way of communicating, some regular Neanderthals instead borrow aspects of the Bothnae languages, and others have to rely on consonant sounds and stretching the sounds of the vowels to compensate and make their language just as complex as other hominids'.

Neanderthals have a reduced chin, sloping forehead, powerful jaw and large nose. The Neanderthal skull is typically more elongated (though not as elongated as the Homo Americanis' skull) and less globular than that of Homo Sapiens and Home floresiensis, and features an occipital bun, or "chignon", a protrusion on the back of the skull. They also have larger eyes likely to adapt to the low-light environment. They are light or tan skinned, have blue or brown eyes, and have a variety of hair colours such as brown, blonde, black and red.

Due to interbreeding Neanderthals living near or within Sapien territory usually exhibit Sapien characteristics, such as mediterranean Neanderthals being darker skinned and Uratu Neanderthals being more slender and having the unsual Levantine green eyes.

Neanderthals in the East, such as the Arals and eastern Wolfsjagers, are usually taller due to the interbreeding with their Bothnaen cousins.