Neanderthals roamed the earth between 4,00,000 and 40,000 years ago. After being around for over 3,50,000 years, they suddenly disappeared, and nobody knows why. However, before they disappeared there was a time their existence overlapped that of early human beings. We still have 2-3 per cent of Neanderthal DNA in us. There is no evidence of a conflict between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens, even though both went in for the same resources. On the other hand, there is evidence that members of the two species interbred. Even the other archaic human beings, the Denisovans, interbred with human beings. 

A group of scientists led by Saman H Guran, a research associate at the Stiftung Neanderthal Museum in Mettmann, Germany, recently studied 20 sites with modern human remains and another 20 with Neanderthal to find out where they may have lived. Their computer modelling considered factors like precipitation, weather and location of caves. 

The researchers arrived at the conclusion that the best area where the two species had contact and interbred, between 1,20,000 and 1,80,000 years ago, was the Zagros mountain range in present-day Iran, Iraq and southeastern Turkey. 

A region today far removed from the seeming peace and accommodation of aeons ago.

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Published on October 6, 2024