The theory that 'Neanderthals disappeared because their genes were absorbed by Homo sapiens' is proposed
A simple analytical model for Neanderthal disappearance due to genetic dilution by recurrent small-scale immigrations of modern humans | Scientific Reports
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-22376-6
Neanderthals May Never Have Truly Gone Extinct, Study Reveals : ScienceAlert
https://www.sciencealert.com/neanderthals-may-never-have-truly-gone-extinct-study-reveals
In recent years, various archaeological evidence and genomic studies have revealed that modern humans and Neanderthals interbred for tens of thousands of years. Non-African people are thought to have inherited 1-4% of their DNA from Neanderthals, and it has been found that Neanderthal-derived DNA influences pain sensitivity , the risk of developing severe COVID-19, and the ability to adapt to sunlight.
Early risers may have inherited their genes from Neanderthals - GIGAZINE
The exact reason for the extinction of Neanderthals is unknown, and various causes have been proposed, including environmental change, loss of genetic diversity, and competition with Homo sapiens. One theory is that the Neanderthals' population was so small that they went extinct on their own without any particular external factors.
Claims that Neanderthals were not exterminated by humans, but 'went extinct on their own' - GIGAZINE
by Young Sok Yun
Meanwhile, a research team led by Andrea Amadei, a computational chemist at the University of Rome Tor Vergata in Italy, has proposed a new theory to explain why Neanderthals disappeared from the Earth, while retaining previously proposed theories.
Amadei and his colleagues' theory is that 'repeated waves of Homo sapiens migrations led to interbreeding with Neanderthals, and over the course of 10,000 to 30,000 years, the Neanderthal genome was almost completely absorbed by Homo sapiens.'
The researchers used birth rates in modern hunter-gatherers to predict how quickly small Neanderthal tribes would have been absorbed into much larger populations of Homo sapiens, a process likely associated with frequent interbreeding between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals. They said genetic drift , a random decrease in genetic diversity within a population, plays a key role in this process.
The findings fit with a growing body of evidence suggesting that the decline of Neanderthals in Europe was gradual, rather than sudden. 'As successive waves of Homo sapiens migrated through the region, local Neanderthal communities were engulfed, diluting their genes like sand being drawn into the ocean,' Science Alert writes.
In their paper, the research team concluded, 'The mathematical model we present provides a plausible explanation for the gradual disappearance of Neanderthals. It suggests that genetic assimilation with the much larger population of Homo sapiens may have been an important factor in their decline. Our model suggests that, rather than a sudden extinction, repeated migrations of Homo sapiens leading to Neanderthal genetic dilution could explain the disappearance of Neanderthals and the observed pattern of Neanderthal genetic ancestry in modern humans.'
by Michael Brace
Some scientists today argue that Homo sapiens and Neanderthals should not be viewed as separate species, but as distinct groups within a 'common human species.' Indeed, evidence suggests that Neanderthals, like Homo sapiens, were adaptable and intelligent , making sophisticated tools , painting cave paintings , and using fire .
Science Alert, a science media outlet, said, 'Neanderthal populations and cultures may no longer exist, but their genetic legacy lives on in us. They are not only our cousins, but also our ancestors.'
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in Free Member, Science, Posted by log1h_ik