These fossil crania from the circum-Mediterranean region include
roughly contemporary specimens from Europe, the Levant and North
Africa.
From the top these represent a French Neandertal (from La
Ferrassie), a Neandertal from Iraq (Shanidar 1), a Neandertal from Amud
(Israel), the Qafzeh 6 skull (Israel), and a skull from the Moroccan
site of Jebel Irhoud. Although these specimens share many similarities
that reflect genic exchanges, differences between each end (Europe and
North Africa) reflect isolation by distance.