[Animals] Sex with humans drove Neanderthals to extinction 28,000 years ago, study suggests

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Homo sapiens led the Neanderthals to extinction without violence. It was enough for them to have sex with them to end the species forever.
For nearly 5,000 years, Homo sapiens founded prehistoric families with other early hominids. This is not new: there are extensive genetic records that shed light on interbreeding between the two species. However, a new study suggests that sex between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens drove the species to extinction.

Researchers at the Natural History Museum in London suggest that prehistoric Homo sapiens wiped out the Neanderthals without violence. Rather, over time, intercourse between the two species reduced the number of Neanderthals on Earth. This is the reason.

Also read: A new finding shows that sex between Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens was more common than previously thought

Prehistoric humans 'absorbed' Neanderthals

According to a study published in PalaeoAnthropology, intense interaction between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals eventually drove the species to extinction 28,000 years ago. This is so, the researchers explain, as there is no evidence that "humans have influenced the Neanderthal gene pool."

In contrast, sex between Neanderthals and prehistoric humans has been documented in the human genome. Currently, say the authors, about 2% of contemporary humans have Neanderthal genes. On the contrary, it seems that Homo sapiens continuously 'absorbed' individuals from the fertile groups of the other species.

This is explained by Chris Stringer, head of human evolution research at the British museum, in a statement:

«[…] IF THE FERTILIZED NEANDERTALS WERE REGULARLY ABSORBED BY THE GROUPS OF HOMO SAPIENS, THEY WERE ALSO ELIMINATED FROM THE GENETIC POOLS OF THE NEANDERTALS, AND SUCH A CONSTANT ESCAPE OF YOUNG INDIVIDUALS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT COULD BE MAINTAINED FOR A LONG TIME IN SMALL GROUPS OF HUNTER-GATHERERS".

At present, it is not known whether the gene flow was unidirectional, the authors note in the study. What's more: there is not even certainty about the success of reproduction between both species. What is a reality is that sex between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens happened for millennia.

Most likely, Stringer details, is that "the Neanderthal genomes we have are not representative." However, only 32 Neanderthal genomes have been fully sequenced so far. As more genomes of the species are sequenced, it will be possible to know "if any nuclear DNA from Homo sapiens passed to Neanderthals and to show whether this idea is correct or not," the authors conclude.

https://www.ngenespanol.com/animales/como-fue-el-sexo-entre-neandertales-y-humanos/