The Neanderthal (Homo nealderthalensis), or Neandertal, is an extinct member of the Homo genus that is known from Pleistocene specimens found in Europe and parts of western and central Asia. Neanderthals are also classified as a subspecies of humans (Homo sapiens neanderthalensis).
By 130,000 years ago, complete Neanderthal characteristics had appeared. These characteristics then disappeared in Asia by 50,000 years ago and in Europe by 30,000 years ago.
Ancient humans featured in the first Ice Age film, but the first modern human (Santa Claus) appeared in Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas, which means Santa is the first modern human featured in the Ice Ageseries.
