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CD STANDISH, AWG. PIKE, DL HOFFMANN, c/o BBC

Scientists believe that the cave paintings in Spain were made before modern humans arrived, suggesting that they were capable of making art and thinking in symbols.

Uranium-thorium dating suggests Neanderthals were in Europe 65,000 years ago, while Homo sapiens didn't arrive until about 45,000 years ago.

"This suggests that the Palaeolithic artwork must have been made by Neanderthals, a "sister" species to Homo sapiens, and Europe's sole human inhabitants at the time. But, so far, the researchers have found only abstract expressions of art by Neanderthals."

Examples of art-making go back as much as 70,000 years ago, but they can't be associated with any particular human ancestor.

Read more: BBC Neanderthals were capable of making art