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Studies Reveal Neanderthal-Human Interbreeding Spanned 7,000 Years, Occurring 50,500 Years Ago with 1-2% DNA Impact

Dec 12, 2024, 08:47 PM

Recent studies have revealed that interbreeding between Neanderthals and modern humans, Homo sapiens, occurred within the last 50,500 years, significantly later than previously believed. Research indicates that this interaction spanned approximately 7,000 years, beginning around 50,500 years ago. As a result of this prolonged interbreeding, modern Eurasians carry about 1-2% Neanderthal DNA, which has implications for various traits, including immunity and metabolism. These findings provide a more precise timeline of when Neanderthals began mixing with early human populations, based on the analysis of ancient genomes from early inhabitants of Europe.