Neanderthals, or Homo neanderthalensis, were our closest evolutionary cousins, sharing many similarities with modern humans.

They lived in Europe and parts of western Asia between 400,000 to 40,000 years ago, thriving in a variety of environments from arid deserts to icy tundras. The Neanderthals have a long evolutionary history. The best-known Neanderthals lived between about 130,000 and 40,000 years ago, after they mysteriously disappear from the fossil records.

Neanderthals evolved in Europe and Asia while modern humans - our species, Homo sapiens - were evolving in Africa.

Despite their close relation to us, Neanderthals remain shrouded in mystery, with many questions still unanswered about their behavior, culture, and biology. In this video, we'll take a deep dive into the world of Neanderthals, exploring their origins, physical features, lifestyle, interactions with other hominid species and the key question of what happened to them.