The Evolutionary Significance of Variation and Varieties of "Neanderthal" Man

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Abstract
Peoples who have been labeled "Neanderthal" are of particular importance in human evolutionary studies because of their temporal distribution and their spatial range. The concept of a "Neanderthal" phase or stage of man''s evolution is no longer useful since there was marked variability from one such group to another. Frequently, as in the case of certain human remains from southeast Asia (Solo man) and southern Africa (Broken Hill, Saldanha, Florisbad men), the application of the designation "Neanderthal" has obscured rather than clarified the real nature and importance of the human skeletal materials. The author attempts to outline some of the-present understandings about Neanderthal peoples and to stress the need for their careful study and reevaluation if studies of man''s evolution are to proceed along potentially fruitful directions.

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