This image provided by the Prague National Museum shows the skull of an ancient hominin called Zlaty Kush, originally discovered in the Koněprus Cave in the Czech Republic. Credit: Marek Jantač/National Museum, Prague, via AP
Neanderthals and humans likely intermingled during a narrow period of time 45,000 years ago, scientists reported Thursday.
Researchers analyzed ancient genes to pinpoint when the hybridization occurred, which was slightly more recent than previous estimates.
Modern humans emerged in Africa hundreds of thousands of years ago and eventually spread to Europe, Asia, and beyond. Somewhere along the way, they met and interbred with Neanderthals, leaving a lasting mark on our genetic code.
Scientists don’t know exactly when or how the two groups became intertwined. But ancient bone fragments and genes are helping scientists figure it out.
“The genetic data from these samples will be very helpful in painting a more detailed picture,” said study co-author Priya Muajani of the University of California, Berkeley.
The study was published Thursday in the journals Science and Nature.
To determine the timeline, researchers peered into some of the oldest human genes in the skull of a woman known as Zlaty Kush, or Golden Horse, where it was discovered in the hills of the Czech Republic. They also examined bone fragments from an early human population in Ranis, Germany, about 140 miles (230 kilometers) away. They found fragments of Neanderthal DNA indicating that interbreeding occurred about 45,000 years ago.
This image provided by the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology shows an artist’s illustration of an ancient hominin that scientists call Zlaty Kush, whose skull was discovered in the Czech Republic. Credit: Tom Björklund/Max Planck Institute for Eevolutionary Anthropology via AP
This image provided by the Prague National Museum shows the skull of an ancient hominin called Zlaty Kush, originally discovered in the Koněprus Cave in the Czech Republic. Credit: Marek Jantač/National Museum, Prague, via AP
This image provided by the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology shows an artist’s illustration of ancient humans traveling together in Germany and Ranis, Czech Republic, 45,000 years ago. Credit: Tom Björklund/Max Planck Institute for Eevolutionary Anthropology via AP
In another study, researchers traced Neanderthal traces in our genetic code over 50,000 years. They discovered Neanderthal genes related to immunity and metabolism and found that these genes may have helped early humans survive and thrive outside Africa.
We still carry our Neanderthal heritage in our DNA. Modern genetic traits associated with skin color, hair color, and even nose shape can be traced back to our extinct former neighbors. And our genetic code also contains echoes from another group of extinct human cousins called the Denisovans.
Rick Potts, director of the Smithsonian Institution’s Human Origins Program and who was not involved in the study, said future genetic research will help scientists determine exactly what and who humans are made of. He said it could help clarify the issue.
“There are a lot of really fascinating areas of scientific investigation, and one of them is: Who are we? Potts said.
Further information: Leonardo NM Iasi et al, Neanderthal ancestry through time: Insights from genomes of ancient and present-humans, Science (2024). DOI: 10.1126/science.adq3010
Arev P. Sümer et al, Earliest modern human genomes constrain timing of Neanderthal mixture, Nature (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08420-x
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