Humans interbred with Neanderthals despite being classified as distinct species
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
confidence 92/100
Extensive paleogenomic research confirms that anatomically modern humans interbred with Neanderthals during their migrations, leaving measurable amounts of Neanderthal ancestry in the genomes of non-African populations today.
Evidence for · 5
The combined landscape of Denisovan and Neanderthal ancestry in present-day humans
2016 · cited by 426
This study discusses the landscape of archaic ancestry, including Neanderthal DNA present in modern humans resulting from past interbreeding.
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More for · 4
The evolutionary history of Neanderthal and Denisovan Y chromosomes
2020 · cited by 92
The research analyzes the Y chromosomes of Neanderthals and modern humans, supporting the conclusion of interbreeding between early humans and Neanderthals.
An ancestral recombination graph of human, Neanderthal, and Denisovan genomes
2021 · cited by 65
This paper uses ancestral recombination graphs to map archaic hominin admixture, highlighting how modern humans carry genes from Neanderthals due to past interbreeding.
Archaic hominin admixture and its consequences for modern humans
2024 · cited by 8
This review highlights that modern humans dispersed out of Africa and mated with now-extinct hominins, including Neanderthals, leaving genomic contributions in contemporary individuals.
A refined analysis of Neanderthal-introgressed sequences in modern humans with a complete reference genome
2025 · cited by 7
This study maps Neanderthal-introgressed sequences in modern humans using complete reference genomes, confirming the genetic legacy of archaic introgression.