Modern Human Biodiversity

Could Neanderthals have been another race of modern man, or are they too distinct to be considered a race? This also goes for anything from Erectus to Habilis.

Subspecies is the most controversial yet best fit descriptor desu

So it's not just racial difference? Ok then.

...

It's a serious question. I'm a layman, I don't completely how one would distinguish a really weird-looking human from a normal-looking Neanderthal.

*I don't completely know how one

looks don't matter in light of genetic evidence.

that's why many now consider Neanderthals to be a subspecies of H. sapiens.

it's also the reason science quit using race.

But didn't Neanderthals come from Heidelbergensis while Sapiens came from Rhodesiensis?

I don't know and it doesn't matter.

we bred with them repeatedly and produced viable hybrid offspring.

this argues for them being our species, no matter how long ago they split off or how they evolved after the split.

I think of them as distant cousins. Think of it like this: lions and tigers can produce hybrid offspring, but we don't consider them the same species. Same genus, different species.