Due to morphological differences with the Cro-Magnon 1 cranium, early interpretations postulated that the individual belonged to a separate lineage, possibly ancestral to Eskimos.

G. M. Morant in 1930 recognized the skeleton as within the morphological range of Upper Paleolithic European populations, and this interpretation has remained accepted since.

[7] The difference in cranial morphology was noted by French anatomist Leo Testut, who in 1889 published the hypothesis that Chancelade Man was of a separate stock than the Cro-Magnon fossils, perhaps representing a lineage ancestral to Eskimos.

[3] The Chancelade skeleton, together with finds from Laugerie-Basse and the Duruthy cave near Sorde-l'Abbaye were grouped as a distinct "Magdalenian race", presumed to have been primarily reindeer hunters.

[10] This study was part of a prevailing view of the time, dividing the many pre-historic finds into more finely grained racial groups than is presently the norm.

[12] In the second half of the 20th century, new finds from Jebel in Israel, Combe-Capelle in France, Minatogawa in Japan and several Paleo-Indians had considerably broadened the knowledge of early man.