Table 2.

Selected Neandertal postcranial features

Anatomical region	Features
General	Wide bodies with short extremities, particularly the distal limb segments
	Long bones tend to have bowed shafts and thick cortical bone
	Postcranial bones tend to be robust with rugose muscle attachments
Axial skeleton	Horizontal lower cervical spinous processes
	Robust, rounded rib shafts
Upper extremity	Long clavicle
	Wide scapula with narrow glenoid fossa and dorsal axillary sulcus
	Humerus with wide olecranon fossa and narrow surrounding dorsodistal pillars
	Ulna with high and long olecranon process and anteriorly oriented trochlear notch
	Radius with medially directed tuberosity and long neck
	Trapezium with flat first metacarpal facet
	Hamate with large hamulus
	Third metacarpal with short styloid process
	Subequal proximal and distal thumb phalanges
	Large hand distal phalangeal tubercles
Lower extremity	Wide pelvis with long, thin superior pubic ramus
	Femur with large articulations, rounded midshaft lacking a pilaster, and low neck-shaft angle
	Tibia with projecting tuberosity and absence of diaphyseal concavities
	Relatively symmetrical medial and lateral patellar facets
	Large foot distal phalangeal tubercles