Episode 3 of 4

Identification as Distinct Prehistoric Race

When: 1868
Where: Les Eyzies, Dordogne
Part of: Event of 1868: Discovery of the first identified skeletons of Cro-Magnon early modern humans by

The remains were identified as a new prehistoric human race distinct from Neanderthals.

The Cro-Magnon humans were soon identified as a new prehistoric human race distinct from the Neanderthal man fossils discovered in Germany in 1856. The skeletons showed features similar to modern humans, such as a high forehead and slender build.

Sources

Louis Lartet Wikipedia, revision of 2026-03-08
Cro-Magnon rock shelter Wikipedia, revision of 2026-07-18

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.