Our Neanderthal cousins

Book review of Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art

Ever since we discovered their existence in 1856, Neanderthals have captured our imagination. While we find it easy to accept that the world is home to different kinds of bears, foxes and dolphins, we are startled by the idea of other species of humans. Just by being, Neanderthals challenge some of our most cherished ideals and delusions. Neanderthals force us to question the belief that Homo sapiens is the apex of creation and, more generally, what it means to be human.

These questions are now more urgent than ever. New technologies have also revolutionised the study of Neanderthals and other ancient