Neanderthals

Neanderthals are an extinct subspecies of Homo sapiens and the evolutionary precursor to the modern human. For purposes of this database, all information regarding the pre-modern Homo genus will be reflected on this page, regardless of their actual taxonomic classification (This isn't a technical manual after all!). This also refers to Cro-Magnon man, who existed during the Upper Paleolithic era.

Due to improper beliefs concerning prehistoric humans, the term caveman has also been applied when referring to members of either Neanderthal or Cro-Magnon man. The term has also been vulgerized into the phrase ape man.

For lack of of a better generic term, let's just call 'em what they are: Cavemen! (and women). Cavemen are known for their sloping brow, low intellect, propensity for wearing loinclothes, lack of hygiene and bad teeth. They can usually be found swinging clubs, which can be used not only as a weapon, but also to clobber a potential mate upon the head and drag her home.

Neanderthals pop up occasionally in television fiction, though they are rarely seen in a positive light. A caveman being, armed with a stereotypical club was one of many antagonists to terrorize the Mystery, Inc. crew in the various Scooby Doo cartoon projects. Another Hannah-Barbera creation was Captain Caveman, who was a particularly hirsute humanoid who enjoyed shouting his name (he also brandished a club). And let's not forget everyone's favorite breakfast cereal spokesman, Fred Flintstone, who is eternally looking to whoop the crap out of Barney Rubble for stealing his Fruity Pebbles.

Doctor Who
Cro-Magnon man played a key role in the first multi-part storyline from the British television series [[Doctor Who. Beginning with the series premiere episode, "An Unearthly Child", the Doctor and his companions, Ian Chesterton, Barbara Wright and Susan Foreman travel back to the Paleolithic era, where they find themselves caught in the middle of a tribe rivalry between an Alpha-male named Za, and a warrior from another tribe named Kal.

Land of the Lost
On the 1970s children's adventure series Land of the Lost, there existed a race of people called Paku, who resembled neanderthal humanoids, but had course hair that covered their entire body and were short in stature. The most notable member of this race was called Chaka, who befriended Holly Marshall and appeared in many episodes of the series.