in, a large nose, and a protruding jaw. The hominid's thick limb bones indicate that it had powerful muscles and great strength. Indeed, Neanderthal most likely depended on its brawn more than its brain for survival.
Although the hominid is typically depicted with a stooping posture, recent evidence suggests that it may have stood more or less erect. Former erroneous assumptions could have resulted from the presence of bone disease among earlier fossil discoveries. Such pathology, for example, has been described in the Shanidar 1 late archaic human (i.e., the Near Eastern variety of Neanderthal). The vertebrae and apendicular skeleton of that particular find displays distinct osteophytic lesions.
In addition, Neanderthal's short size may have provided the hominid with an adaptive advantage in its Ice Age environment. During the last 100,000 years, Europe has frequently been covered with glaciers. A smaller body size gives off less heat. This meant that Neanderthal required less energy to maintain a given body temperature.
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