From their heavy build and short limbs , to the shape of their skull and teeth , there are many ways that the anatomy of Neanderthals differed to our own . Now experts say that even a small bone in their ears are dissimilar to one in modern humans , raising the prospect that our extinct ancient relatives heard differently to us too . Researchers created a computer model of the middle ear bone of a Neanderthal child , whose remains were discovered in France 40 years ago . Researchers created a computer model of the middle ear bone of a Neanderthal child , whose remains were discovered in France 40 years ago to make the discovery . The entirety of the auditory ossicle is shown . The remains from a two-year-old child , which are known as La Ferrassie 8 , were discovered at La Ferrassie in the Dordogne , south western France , between 1970 and 1973 . Excavations at the rock shelter in south west France began in the early 20th century . They yielded the remains of female and male adults to provide scientists with the first evidence of sexual dimorphism in Neanderthals , according to the Smithsonian . A total of eight individuals at all stages of life were purposefully buried at the site , including children and two foetuses . The skull of Ferrassie 1 is the most complete Neanderthal skull ever found and includes traits such as the low , sloping forehead and large nostrils . The site yielded seven Neanderthal skeletons ranging from foetuses to almost complete skeletons of adults , thought to be between 70,000 and 50,000 years old . Over 40 years on , they are shedding new light on the anatomy of the extinct species , which inhabited Europe and parts of western Asia between 230,000 and 28,000 years ago . Asier Gómez-Olivencia , an Ikerbasque researcher at the University of the Basque Country in northern Spain , produced a 3D computer reconstruction of the remains . His work , published in The Journal of Human Evolution , reveals another anatomical difference between the Neanderthals and modern humans in the smallest ossicles of the body . Among La Ferrassie 8 ’ s bones – including a skull , jaw , vertebrae , ribs and hand phalanges – is a very complete left temporal bone with an auditory ossicle inside – a complete stapes . Neanderthals inhabited Europe and parts of western Asia between 230,000 and 28,000 years ago . A stock image is shown . The bone comes from a two-year-old of the extinct species . The La Ferrassie site ( marked on the map ) yielded seven Neanderthal skeletons ranging from foetuses to almost complete skeletons of adults . The bone , which lies in the middle ear of humans and other mammals is involved in the conduction of sound vibrations to the inner ear . It is the most complete example in the Neanderthal record . Dr Gómez-Olivencia made a computer model so he could virtually ‘ extract ’ the bone to study its shape closely . He found that the shape of the Neanderthal stapes differs from our own , meaning they may have heard sounds differently too . He explained : ‘ We do not yet know the relation between these morphological differences and hearing in the Neanderthals . ‘ This would constitute a new challenge for the future ’ . Female Neanderthals did the household chores as well as hunting alongside males ( illustrated ) , according to a study which analysed their teeth . Female Neanderthals did the household chores as well as hunting alongside males , according to a recent study which analysed their teeth . It suggests that women in the group were responsible for looking after furs and adjusting garments , while men had the task of improving stone tools . Scientists at Spanish National Research Council ( CSIC ) in Madrid analysed 99 incisors and canine teeth of 19 Neanderthals found at sites in Spain , France and Belgium . The fossils in Spain dated back 100,000 years , in France 50,000 years , and in Belgium the ancient teeth were believed to be 44,000 years old . Regardless of age , Neanderthals had dental grooves . 'This is due to the custom of these societies to use the mouth as a third hand , as in some current populations , for tasks such as preparing the furs or chopping meat , for instance , ' said Antonio Rosas , CSIC researcher . But the study found grooves present in the female fossils followed the same pattern , and were different to those found in male individuals . 'What we have now discovered is that the grooves detected in the teeth of adult women are longer than those found in adult men , ' said Professor Rosas . 'Therefore we assume that the tasks performed were different ' . The tiny nicks of the teeth enamel were also analysed . Male individuals show a greater number of nicks in the enamel and dentin of the upper parts , while in female individuals these imperfections appear in the lower parts . It is still unclear which activities corresponded to women and which ones to men . However , the authors of the study note that , as in modern hunter-gatherer societies , women may have been responsible for the preparation of furs and the elaboration of garments . Researchers state that the retouching of the edges of stone tools seems to have been a male task .
bone was found among remains of a two - year - old Neanderthal child . Skeleton was among bones found in La ##nnes , turkey , in the 1970s . University of the Basque Country expert reported a discovery of an ear bone . Shows a morphological difference between Neanderthals and humans .