Neanderthal brains measure up to ours—literally

Neanderthal and modern human brains from the same time period had similar sizes , though average Neanderthal brain volume was roughly 1410 cm³, higher than the mean value for humans today . However, while Neanderthal brains could have been organized or proportioned differently, their more massive bodies may have required more brain volume for basic somatic maintenance—leaving less brain matter for other functions .

Source: Ars Technica | 2026-04-28