Lapedo Child Burial Reveals Human-Neanderthal Hybrid Lived 28,000 Years Ago

New radiocarbon dating techniques confirm the Lapedo Child's remains, found in Portugal, belong to a hybrid of Homo sapiens and Neanderthals who lived long after Neanderthals were thought to be extinct.

• The Lapedo Child's remains, discovered in Portugal in 1998, exhibit a mix of Neanderthal and modern human traits, confirmed by DNA analysis.
• Advanced hydroxyproline radiocarbon dating has placed the child's burial between 27,780 and 28,550 years ago, approximately 40,000 years after Neanderthals went extinct.
• The burial site included ochre-stained bones and animal remains, suggesting ritualistic practices and possible offerings at the time of burial.
• The findings provide new insights into the prolonged genetic and cultural overlap between Neanderthals and early modern humans in Europe.
• This discovery underscores the complexity of human evolution, with interbreeding contributing to the survival of Neanderthal genes in modern humans.

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