We Now Know Exactly Where In The World Humans And Neanderthals Hooked Up

[Judi Lynn]

Our species wildly interbred with Neanderthals – and we now know where.

Tom Hale
Senior Journalist

Edited
by
Katy Evans

It’s a well-established (and slightly uncomfortable) fact that Homo sapiens and Neanderthals interbred with one another. Recent research looked into when this inter-species kanoodling occurred and now another new piece of research has investigated where exactly it happened.

Scientists took a close look at the geographical distribution of both species in Southwest Asia and Southeast Europe around the time we know they hooked up during the Late Pleistocene.

This revealed a clear location where the two human species overlapped with each other and likely interbred: the Zagros Mountains, a long mountain range on the Persian Plateau that stretches across the modern-day borders of Iran, northern Iraq, and southeastern Turkey.

The Zagros Mountains would have been an ideal place for the two species to rendezvous. The region has a diverse range of biodiversity and topography capable of supporting large stable human populations. Plus, it could have welcomed humans from other parts of the planet during the Pleistocene climatic shifts, acting as a corridor connecting the cooler Palearctic realm with the warmer Afrotropical realm.

The location also neatly lines up with the archeological record and genetic evidence. The Zagros Mountains region is rich in archaeological sites containing the remains of both Neanderthals and prehistoric Homo sapiens.

More:
https://www.iflscience.com/we-now-know-exactly-where-in-the-world-humans-and-neanderthals-hooked-up-75850

[tanyev]

1. Plus there was that wild club in the Zagros Mountains, Studio 54000BCE.

Oh man, the psychedelics and the drumming!

[rubbersole]

10. And i thought it was at Sandals...

...there was a coupon in Conde Nasty...

[Dave Bowman]

20. Here's a picture of some of the guests:

[Doodley]

2. Kanoodling and hooking up sounds very romantic. Or was it Homo sapiens raping Neanderthals?

[Beatlelvr]

4. That's exactly what I was thinking

I doubt there was such a thing as romance!

[OnionPatch]

12. They probably "raped" half of their own women

In those days, I don't think consent for sex was much of a thing.

[erronis]

6. Could have been the other way around. And could have been a mutual interest.

It's sort of silly to think that homo sapiens were always dominant. And it's pretty obvious that there are many examples of individuals from different groups of animals (we are animals) being attracted to one another.

[Doodley]

7. Good point!

[mitch96]

18. I don't know if it was done intentionally but a good way to mix up the gene pool...on both sides..nt

[brush]

3. When did the migration from Africa happen?

[EverHopeful]

5. Thank you!

Last edited Sun Sep 8, 2024, 10:02 AM - Edit history (1)

Also recommend The Big Questions audio at the link discussing Hominins and Homo Sapiens. Learned of hominin species I hadn't heard of before.

No mention of human chromosome 2 which is a current fascination of mine but suppose it was outside the parameters of the discussion.

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/07/3/l_073_47.html#

Apologies. I meant the audio link in the original OP. The link I added is a brief discussion of human chromosome 2. Afraid I'm not always as clear as I wish I was

[erronis]

8. Thanks for that link - I look forward to watching and trying to understand.

[Dan]

9. Have they looked into MTG's home state of Georgia?

[rubbersole]

11. Funny!

[wnylib]

21. Tsk, tsk. What an insult to both Homo Sapiens and Neanderthals.

[Picaro]

13. My long held "hunch"

I’ve long had a hunch that the Neandertals disappeared due to interbreeding with homo sapiens rather than some violent genocide.

If someone has any expertise with paleo genetics feel free to chime in.

[wnylib]

22. I have that same hunch.

[HighFired49]

24. There is an excellent article here-

from the Smithsonian. Not too technical, easy to read."Ancient DNA and Neanderthals" https://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/genetics/ancient-dna-and-neanderthals

[Picaro]

25. Thanks!

I knew there would be one of our folks that would have found something germane to the topic.

Best curated site on the net.

DU is so much more than just politics.

BTW, I just subscribed to their print magazine.

[AverageOldGuy]

14. Mount Ararat?

Are the Zargos Mountains the location of the biblical Mount Ararat, where the mythical Noah’s ark came to rest?

[wnylib]

23. Near each other but separate geologic formations.

[CaptainTruth]

15. A motel in New Jersey, just off the interstate.

That's what I heard.

[hermetic]

16. There's a really great book

IMO, Extinction by Douglas Preston. Just published this year. It's fiction but has lots of scientific facts about Neanderthals and such. And it's also scary as hell. In case you're ever looking for something along those lines...

[GreatShakes66]

17. Not sure why anyone would find the fact uncomfortable

Neanderthals were humans. More brutish looking than modern humans, but still intelligent. Homo Sapiens at the time probably didn't look that great by modern standards either.

[ShazzieB]

19. Yes.

Furthermore, homo sapiens sapiens (modern humans) and homo sapiens neanderthalensis (neanderthals) are subspecies of the species homo sapiens, not 2 different species. It's not at all surprising that they would interact with each other in a variety of ways, including sexually, when their paths crossed.

[grumpyduck]

26. When I read the OP's title,

the first thought I had was "in the halls of Congress."

[unblock]

27. The stormy/donnie thing was in Lake Tahoe, I believe....

[Bmoboy]

28. Many of the "hook-ups" were rape.