Which primitive form of *Homo sapiens* is considered to be more intelligent (than us) - Cro Magnon or Neanderthal man?

1 Answer
Mar 20, 2015

Neither is more intelligent than modern humans.

Cro-Magnon is just on the same line as we are. We evolved from them.

Neanderthals are a separate line that died out. They overlapped the time we were around and some interbred with us. There is no good reason known (yet) why they died out.

It wasn't because we were smarter. It could have been any reason. There were not very many of them just as there were not many of us.

Chance caused them to go extinct and not us.

They were as intelligent as we are now. They just hadn't gotten as far as we have now.

You are trying to compare them with us just as you might compare a group from the time before people had a written language to people who can use atomic weapons (us).

Both used fire and flint knives as did we long ago.

I don't think that we can give them IQ tests even if their brains may have been larger.