Neanderthals

Neanderthals are now extinct species that were closely related to modern humans.  Their fossils were found in today's Europe and Asia, and they date back to a geological era referred to as Pleistocene, a period from over 2.5 million years ago to 11,700 years ago. Their name comes from Neander Valley in Germany where it was first found.  According to a publication in 2010, 1-4 percent of genome of people in Europe and Asia was contributed by Neanderthals via interbreeding.  A recent NOVA program, provides more history, science findings, and reasons as to why we might have underestimated Neanderthal's intelligence by thinking of them as our cave men cartoon characters!


References:
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neanderthal
[2] http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/evolution/decoding-neanderthals.html