Ancient Genomes Reveal Early Human-Neanderthal Interactions and Extinctions

New studies uncover genetic links between early humans and Neanderthals, highlighting a complex migration and extinction history in Eurasia.

Researchers analyzed the genomes of 45,000-year-old skeletons from Germany and the Czech Republic, the oldest known Homo sapiens genomes in Europe.
Findings indicate that early humans interbred with Neanderthals for approximately 7,000 years after migrating out of Africa around 50,000 years ago.
The genetic legacy of this interbreeding remains in modern non-African populations, with about 1-3% of their DNA tracing back to Neanderthals.
Populations like the Ranis-Zlatý-kůň group in Central Europe represent evolutionary dead ends, leaving no genetic contribution to present-day humans.
The studies also suggest that interbreeding with Neanderthals provided genetic advantages, such as adaptations related to immunity and metabolism, aiding survival in new environments.