If you’ve ever stared at a Neanderthal skull, you might have noticed it’s shaped differently from ours. But recent research suggests this difference doesn't tell the whole story — inside those skulls, their brains could be just like ours.

The study compared modern people's brains with casts of Neanderthal skulls using MRI scans. It found that there is more variation in brain size among humans than between Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens. In other words, Neanderthals’ brains fit comfortably within the range of human brains today.

Previously, some studies suggested Neanderthals had smaller cerebellums compared to modern humans. However, this difference is based on a very small sample size. The new study suggests that overall brain structure and function might not have been so different after all.

This finding aligns with what we see in the archaeological record — Neanderthals were capable of complex tasks such as art-making and tool-use. It challenges the idea that modern humans out-competed them due to superior intelligence or adaptability.

The researchers propose that brain size is a poor predictor of cognitive abilities, meaning Neanderthals could have been just as intelligent as us. The next time you think about our ancient cousins, perhaps remember they might have had brains pretty much like ours inside those big heads!