Humans and Neanderthals Interbred 47,000 Years Ago
New research refines the timeline of interbreeding between modern humans and Neanderthals, showing it began about 50,500 years ago and lasted roughly 7,000 years. This gene flow left non-African populations with 1-2% Neanderthal ancestry, contributing beneficial traits like immune resilience and skin pigmentation. The study also identified Neanderthal deserts—regions in human genomes devoid of Neanderthal genes—likely caused by lethal gene variants. These findings deepen our understanding of human adaptation, migration, and the genetic legacy from Neanderthals and other ancient hominins. ….[READ]
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