As said before, stuff hints that they aren't really capable of abstract thought
That sounds incredibly made up. Not by you mind you, but by a scientist.
We lacked several very basic concepts back then too.
Even Gorillas have abstract thought.
Honestly it sounds like someone out there is making things up about Neanderthals JUST to make humans seem "special".
Yeah, just a note about that. I adressed that statement in previous posts, and supported it, but as I tried to mention before, it's outdated. Turns out the premise (Ie, there being significant differences in the size of frontal lobes) from which operated was false because the sample it was based on was to small or something.
If you want to be technical Sheb we have Neanderthal DNA in us.
So whatever intelligence sucking effect it had, it obviously didn't have enough of it.
This is actually quite questionable. Some research seems to show that modern humans and Neanderthaler interbred, but archeological evidence shows that Neanderthaler and humans weren't in close enough proximity at that moment.
Well, let's put it this way: even a dumb human is much smarter than a chimp for exemple. The difference between species tends to be so large, that it'd be really surprising if they were exactly as smart as we are.
And I don't care if I sound like prehistoric Hitler.
Chimps are about as smart (at some points even better) than human children. Their intelligence just focusses at other points.
Humans are like cockroaches: Easily squished, but we tend to stick around, come what may. We just don't give up - on several occasions ridiculous amounts of people were killed, and still we - as a species or population - survived.
Just look at the concentration camps, or China during the Great Leap, or the Thirty Year's war. We're one tough breed, that's for sure.
While those aren't maybe the best examples, another example is that genetic research shows that (proto)humanity at one point has been reduced to about a thousand-2000 specimens, maybe even less.
Oh, and for human advantages, bipedality is a huge one. Higher vantage point, speed (humans are rather good in a sprint), endurance, ability to hold stuff.