Diverging Paths of Mourning: Burial Practices of Neanderthals and Early Homo sapiens

A Shared Legacy with Divergent Customs

Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens, two of the closest relatives in the human evolutionary story, share a unique distinction: they are the only known hominins to have buried their dead. However, a recent study¹ has uncovered notable differences in how these ancient groups honored their deceased, shedding new light on the cultural and social evolution of…