Neandertal was based on a disfigured human (Talk.Origins)

Claim CC051:


 * Neanderthal man was reconstructed from a fossil skeleton badly deformed by disease. Neanderthals really are not much different from modern humans.

Source:
 * Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 1985. Life--How Did It Get Here? Brooklyn, NY, p. 95.

CreationWiki response:

First of all the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is a poor source known for bad scholarship.

This is 100% correct and the original Neanderthal skeleton was indeed deformed by disease, leading to that generalized stereotype, and not just a creationist stereotype, so at worst this is out of date.

But it needs to be noted that features like powerful bones and muscles can be a result of life style rather than genetics. In fact, we can see wide variation within mankind today from Pygmies in Africa to a group of Sudanese known for height and Biblical records of nine-foot six-fingered giants like Goliath.

No disagreement here but once again it only shows that the claim is out of date.

O Neandertal foi baseado em um humano desfigurado (Talk.Origins)