It is a nebulous area of prehistory. When did the union of humans and Neanderthals occur on the planet? Scientists are sure they know now. Modern humans migrated out of Africa following Neanderthal routes and interbred with them for a time. This generated multiple interactions and genetic exchange that influenced the current population outside of Africa.
Genetic analysis of remains of the Homo sapiens found in several places confirm it. Modern humans used routes that had already been explored by Neanderthals. The research is by anthropologist Arev Sümer from the Max Planck Institute. He says the Homo sapiens and the Homo neanderthalensis They crossed paths between 45,000 and 49,000 years ago.
mixed genetics
All humans outside of Africa present vestiges of this genetic exchange. This suggests that it occurred approximately 80 generations before the birth of the individuals studied. The findings indicate that there were multiple interactions between both species.
The study focused on the analysis of the nuclear genomes of six individuals found in Ranis, dated to around 45,000 years ago. Mitochondrial DNA identified them as Homo sapiens. Surprisingly, a genetic link was discovered between an individual from another distant region, Zlaty kun, and two from Ranis. This suggests a family connection and the possibility that both groups made similar tools.
The results indicate that these first pioneers were probably made up of a few hundred individuals. «It gives us a deeper knowledge of the first pioneers who settled in Europe. Any modern human remains found outside Africa, which are more than 50,000 years old, should not have interbred with Neanderthals,” the researchers explain.
Human evolution
A second study examined 300 human genomes from the last 50,000 years. He found that most Neanderthal genes were introduced during a period between 50,500 and 43,500 years ago. This coincides with the conclusions of the first work. It is possible that this is another wave of emigrants, including the direct ancestors of modern humans.
Geneticist Leonardo Iasi noted that rapid natural selection probably influenced the retention or loss of Neanderthal genes over about 100 generations. This is how the genetic landscape we see today was formed. The first study was published in Nature and the second was published in Science.
