Neanderthals Did Not Totally Vanish From Earth, They Became Part Of The Modern Human Population

Maybe Neanderthals were not wiped out in a catastrophic event some 40,000 years ago. In fact, perhaps they never truly disappeared in a definite sense. New research has examined the flow of genes between prehistoric human populations using mathematical models, concluding that Neanderthals were effectively absorbed into Homo sapiens through frequent bouts of interbreeding. 

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They weren’t simply outcompeted or driven to extinction, but rather intertwined with our ancestors over tens of thousands of years. As generations passed, Neanderthal DNA became increasingly diluted within the human gene pool. Eventually, they became so genetically assimilated into Homo sapiens, which were much more abundant in number, that their distinct lineage faded away. 

There are plenty of other theories about why Neanderthals fell into extinction, many of which paint a more dramatic – if not more definite – ending. Some argue that Neanderthals were killed off by Homo sapiens in a prehistoric genocide, while others suggest our species gradually outcompeted them for resources. Disease outbreaks and climate change are also frequently cited culprits.

This latest study builds on the idea that their demise was far hazier and less concrete than some believe; they didn’t disappear like a dodo being hunted into extinction, they were very slowly mated into obscurity.

“Rather than sudden extinction, our model proposes that repeated cycles of H. sapiens immigration leading to the Neanderthal gene dilution could account for the Neanderthals’ disappearance and the observed patterns of Neanderthal ancestry in modern human populations,” the study authors write in their paper.

“Although other factors may have contributed to the decline of Neanderthals, our results highlight genetic admixture as a possible key mechanism driving their disappearance,” they added.

In a very real sense, traces of Neanderthal still live on today. The genes of Neanderthals are still active in the genome of the modern human population, especially people of European heritage, as a result of frequent interbreeding. This Neanderthal DNA even influences the risk of depression, heart attacks, and a range of other health problems in modern populations. 

The “end” of the Neanderthals’ story forces us to reconsider what it truly means for a species to exist – or to vanish. If their DNA continues to live and function within us, can we say they are truly gone? 

Like the Ship of Theseus, where each plank was replaced over time, raising the question of whether it remained the same ship, humanity itself may be a patchwork of ancestral fragments, gently blending into one another and defying rigid classifications.

The new study is published in the journal Scientific Reports.