Newly Discovered Neanderthal Lineage Isolated for 50,000 Years

DNA analysis of fossils found in France reveals a distinct and isolated Neanderthal group, challenging previous assumptions about their extinction.

Researchers discovered the remains of a Neanderthal, nicknamed Thorin, in a cave in southern France in 2015.
Thorin's DNA indicates he belonged to a lineage that split from other Neanderthals around 105,000 years ago and remained isolated for 50,000 years.
This genetic isolation likely contributed to the group's vulnerability and eventual extinction due to reduced genetic diversity.
The findings suggest that Neanderthals were not a homogenous population but consisted of multiple distinct groups with limited interaction.
Thorin's lineage did not interbreed with Homo sapiens, contrasting with other Neanderthal populations that did.