The objective of WPIII is to provide a rigorous contextual framework for understanding the global, regional, and local adaptation systems of Neanderthals during times of extreme climate deterioration. This will allow a discussion of the wider implications for the understanding of Neanderthal adaptive abilities against the backdrop of their subsequent demise and replacement by Homo sapiens. By means of niche and distribution modelling, WPIII examines the response of northern Neanderthals to climate change and will use the results to clarify the contrasting interpretations dominating current Neanderthal biogeography. An additional goal is to generate new evidence-based Neanderthal distribution maps incorporating behaviourally graded and dynamic boundaries, providing a widely applicable resource for the broader research community.