Ever since the first Neanderthal fossils were identified in the mid-19th century, these ancient humans have generally been portrayed as brutish and inarticulate — interpretations steeped in the racial prejudices of Victorian-era anthropology. But we now know more about this extinct species than ever before, and new discoveries tell a very different story.  Neanderthals lived in groups, cared for their communities, and likely used sound and speech in far more complex ways than once imagined. Today, scientists are combining fossil evidence, computer modeling, and genetics to find out if Neanderthals really could talk — and if ...Read More