For years, scientists have pondered the reasons behind the extinction of (Homo neanderthaliensis). However, the authors of a new study led by Andrea Amadei from the University of Rome Tor Vergata argue that this group of prehistoric inhabitants of Earth never truly went extinct.
A team of Italian and Swiss researchers believes that Neanderthals did not experience a genuine extinction because their DNA has been preserved in the gene pool of modern humans.
Neanderthals (Homo neanderthaliensis) lived in Europe and Western Asia approximately 400,000 to 40,000 years ago. Over the millennia, our species, , interbred and produced offspring with Neanderthals as part of a gradual process of “genetic assimilation,” the study’s authors noted. A mathematical model helped scientists unravel this complex issue.
“Our results suggest that genetic mixing was likely a key mechanism contributing to their disappearance. The disappearance of Neanderthals, rather than their true extinction, can be viewed as a result of genetic dilution,” the researchers stated in their report.
What Did the Researchers Report?
Paleoanthropologists have long been aware that Homo sapiens engaged in sexual relations with Homo neanderthaliensis, as Neanderthal has been found in the genomes of modern humans. In fact, most non-Africans today carry Neanderthal genes.
Our species coexisted with Neanderthals for several thousand years before we became dominant. Homo sapiens migrated from Africa to Eurasia 60,000 to 70,000 years ago, where they encountered Neanderthals. When the two species first met, they likely used basic verbal communication to understand each other.
Moreover, around 47,000 years ago, representatives of both species began to interbreed and produce healthy offspring, as they were significantly genetically similar.
According to the study’s authors, these two species interbred for about 7,000 years until Neanderthals began to decline. The reason for their disappearance around 40,000 years ago remains a contentious topic within the scientific community, as reported by Daily Mail.
The mathematical model used by the team indicated that “the extinction of Neanderthals was a gradual phenomenon, with the loss of local populations occurring at different times.” The researchers focused on the impact of small, repeated migrations of Homo sapiens into Eurasia. The results showed that prolonged interbreeding between the two species led to the complete genetic absorption of Homo neanderthaliensis within 10,000 to a maximum of 30,000 years.
“The constant flow of genes from the more demographically dominant species, Homo sapiens, may explain the genetic absorption of Neanderthals by modern humans,” the scientists believe.
The researchers’ explanation for the gradual disappearance of Neanderthals—a “turning point in human evolution”—was published in the journal Scientific Reports.
It’s worth noting that scientists have previously suggested various reasons for the extinction of Neanderthals, including diseases, catastrophic climate events, and competition for territory and resources.
Previous studies have revealed that not all interactions between Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthaliensis were peaceful. This may have been another factor contributing to the Neanderthals’ extinction. Evidence of weapon marks on the bones of both species suggests that they engaged in violent conflicts.
Photo: Unsplash
