First Contact

A research published in the journal Nature reveals that the Neanderthals and modern humans interbred much earlier than it was previously thought. This was claimed after the scientists found remains of a female Neanderthal in the Altai Mountains in Siberia. A genetic analysis of her remains revealed traces of human DNA in her genome, which suggests that modern humans and Neanderthals mingled around 100,000 years ago.

This is the first time that the scientists have provided an evidence of modern humans leaving the African continent about 40,000 years earlier before a large population migrated from Africa less than 65,000 years ago. Contemporary Africans, however, did not find traces of the Neanderthal DNA in their genomes. This proves that the sexual contact between humans and Neanderthals occurred only after the modern humans left the African continent.

Another very interesting observation of this research is that the scientists have found the human DNA in a Neanderthal genome whereas another common observation is the Neanderthal DNA in human genome. Neanderthal genes in modern humans play an integral role in everything, from the immune system to allergies to propensity of diseases.