What people in history have been responsible for creating theories about Neanderthals?

Prominent figures who have contributed to theories about Neanderthals include Johann Fuhlrott, who first recognized Neanderthal fossils as a distinct human ancestor in 1856; and Marcellin Boule, who in the early 20th century portrayed Neanderthals as brutish and less evolved than modern humans. More recent contributions include the work of paleoanthropologists like Svante Pääbo, who has used genetic analysis to study Neanderthal DNA and shed light on their relationship to modern humans.