Neanderthal Man. An extinct human species (Homo neanderthalensis) or subspecies (Homo sapiens neanderthalensis) living during the late Pleistocene Epoch throughout most of Europe and parts of Asia and northern Africa and associated with Middle Paleolithic tools. Physically, the Neanderthals were about the same height as most modern humans, on the average 5 ft 5 inches, but they were much more heavily built. They had heavy necks, broad and muscular shoulders, and extremely muscular arms, hands, and legs. They are known for their long, low brain cases and their projecting faces with large brows and prominent noses. Illustration originally captioned: Neanderthal Man (Osborn) from unidentified source, 1916.