Archaeologists have identified a likely region where Neanderthals and Homo sapiens may have interbred during the Late Pleistocene.
A team from Germany, Denmark, and Iran used ecological niche modeling and geographic information systems to map out areas in Southeast Europe and Southwest Asia where both species likely lived and interacted.Previous studies confirmed that Neanderthals and Homo sapiens interbred, as Neanderthal DNA is present in modern humans.
However, the exact locations of these interactions remained unclear. In this new study, researchers identified the Zagros Mountains, located on the Persian Plateau, as one of the most probable regions where the two species met and interbred.
This mountain range extends from Iran to northern Iraq and southeastern Turkey.The region's rich biodiversity, varied landscape, and warm climate made it a suitable habitat for Neanderthals. At the same time, Homo sapiens were migrating out of Africa, likely crossing paths with Neanderthals in this area.
The presence of both Neanderthal and Homo sapiens remains, including the famous "flower burial" of Neanderthals, further supports this theory. The research team believes that given the overlap in time and geography, it is highly probable that the two groups encountered and interbred with one another.
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