What color were Neanderthals eyes?

What Color Were Neanderthals’ Eyes?

For years, scientists have been piecing together the appearance of our ancient cousins, the Neanderthals. While we can’t see them in person, fragments of DNA and skeletal remains offer surprising clues. One thing researchers agree on: Neanderthals most likely had brown eyes.

Geneticist Carles Lalueza-Fox, a leading voice in ancient DNA research, has pointed to evidence suggesting that brown eyes were the norm among Neanderthal populations. This makes sense from an evolutionary standpoint—brown eyes, like darker skin, offer better protection against intense sunlight, which would have been useful in the varied environments they inhabited.

While brown eyes seem to have been widespread, their hair color likely varied more than once thought. Some may have had red or light hair, thanks to genetic mutations found in Neanderthal DNA. Skin tone, too, wasn’t uniform. As paleoanthropologist John Hawks has noted, Neanderthals living in sunnier regions—like Israel—may have developed darker skin compared to those in northern, cloudier Europe, where lighter pigmentation could have helped with vitamin D absorption.

These details challenge the outdated image of Neanderthals as uniformly pale, brutish figures. Instead, they were a diverse group, shaped by the landscapes they lived in. Their features—brown eyes, variable hair colors, adaptive skin tones—paint a picture of a species far more complex and nuanced than we once believed.

So next time you imagine a Neanderthal, think of rich brown eyes scanning the ancient world—watchful, adapted, and deeply human in their variety.