Cro-Magnon

American  

[kroh-mag-nuhn, -non, -man-yuhn] / kroʊˈmæg nən, -nɒn, -ˈmæn yən /

noun

1. an Upper Paleolithic population of humans, regarded as the prototype of modern Homo sapiens in Europe. Skeletal remains found in an Aurignacian cave in southern France indicate that the Cro-Magnon had long heads, broad faces, and sunken eyes, and reached a height of approximately 5 feet 9 inches (175 centimeters).

2. a member of the Cro-Magnon population.

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Cro-Magnon Scientific  

/ krō-măg′nən,-măn′yən /

1. An early form of modern human (Homo sapiens) inhabiting Europe in the late Paleolithic Period, from about 40,000 to 10,000 years ago, characterized by a broad face and tall stature. It is known from skeletal remains first found in the Cro-Magnon cave in southern France. Cro-Magnons coexisted with European Neanderthal populations for several thousand years, although there is little evidence of interbreeding.

2. See more at Aurignacian

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Cro-Magnon Cultural  

1. The earliest form of modern humans. The Cro-Magnons developed about 35,000 years ago and physically resembled modern Europeans. (See Homo sapiens.)

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Discover More

Cro-Magnon people painted the walls of their caves, producing some of the earliest known human art.

Etymology

Origin of Cro-Magnon

First recorded in 1865–70; named after the cave (near Périgueux, France) where the first remains were found

Example Sentences

He said he based the concept of He-Man on his vision of Cro-Magnon men, as well as Vikings.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 25, 2021

Hall has a square chin, broad Cro-Magnon brow and flinty green eyes.

From New York Times • Nov. 2, 2021

Left for dead, a Cro-Magnon teen forms an unlikely alliance with a lone wolf that was abandoned by its pack.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 19, 2019

He was 18 when he made his first professional sale, a short story called “Spear and Fang” in which a Cro-Magnon rescues his mate from a Neanderthal.

From Washington Times • May 8, 2018

But none of those rocks at the base of the cliff is an obviously human-made tool, as are Clovis points and Cro-Magnon tools.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond