metis
aged ecumenical anthropologist
Ya, as it used to be believed that Neanderthals were pretty much just ignorant thugs, but as more and more research came in we found that he was much more intelligent than previously thought, and also quite caring, going by the fact that they did perform some operations, plus they took care of the individual operated on since they would not have been able to hunt or even gather until better healed.Actually the fossils of our recent human ancestors have viable DNA that can be recovered like the Neanderthals and recent Home Sapiens that can be compared to modern humans, and the change in DNA is minimal. Also the life expectancy on average was 40 or less. Though we have fossil evidence that they cared for the wounded, disabled and elderly.