DNA reveals the face of the most recent human to interbreed with Neanderthals
According to the most commonly accepted theory, modern humans left Africa around 60,000 years ago, mingling with Neandertals along the way.
This interaction left a legacy of two to three percent Neanderthal DNA in the genomes of people outside Africa.
However, the story of the first modern humans in Europe and the timing of their intermingling with Neanderthals remains incomplete.
A recent study sheds light on this chapter, uncovering new connections between early European humans and Neanderthals.
Understanding Neanderthals — the basics
Neanderthals were our closest extinct relatives, living alongside early modern humans in Europe and parts of Asia for hundreds of thousands of years. They first appeared around 400,000 years ago and thrived until about 40,000 years ago.
Unlike the stereotypical image of burly, brutish cave dwellers, Neanderthals were actually quite sophisticated.
They built shelters, made clothing from animal hides, and even created art and jewelry, showing a level of creativity and culture that rivals our own.
Physically, Neanderthals were well-adapted to the cold climates of the Ice Age. They had robust bodies with strong muscles, shorter limbs, and a wider ribcage compared to modern humans, which helped them conserve heat.
Their large noses may have warmed and humidified the cold, dry air they breathed. Neanderthals also had larger brains than us, though their brain structure was different, suggesting they processed information in unique ways.
Zlatý kůň and Ranis sites
The Zlatý kůň site in Czechia holds a critical piece of this puzzle. Archaeologists discovered a skull there, estimated to be 45,000 years old, and belonging to an early modern human.
Unfortunately, this individual’s cultural and archaeological context remained unclear. Nearby, the Ilsenhöhle in Ranis, Germany, presented another mystery.
This site, about 230 km from Zlatý kůň, housed tools linked to the Lincombian-Ranisian-Jerzmanowician (LRJ) culture, but it was unclear if Neanderthals or modern humans created them.
Thirteen bone fragments from Ranis had previously been analyzed and revealed mitochondrial DNA from modern humans.
Yet mitochondrial DNA, a small fraction of the genome, could not clarify their broader genetic relationships.
Link between Zlatý kůň and Ranis
A breakthrough came with a new study, published in Nature, that provided the link between Europe’s first modern humans and Neanderthals.
Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology analyzed the nuclear genomes of the thirteen specimens from Ranis, and uncovered genetic ties between Zlatý kůň and the Ranis population.
The bones from Ranis represented at least six individuals, including a mother-daughter pair and other distant relatives.
“To our surprise, we discovered a fifth- or sixth-degree genetic relationship between Zlatý kůň and two individuals from Ranis,” noted lead author Arev Sümer.
“This means that Zlatý kůň was genetically part of the extended family of Ranis and likely also made LRJ-type tools.”
The study also sequenced high-quality genomes from the skull found at Zlatý kůň and a well-preserved male bone from Ranis, referred to as Ranis13.
These genomes represent the oldest high-quality modern human genomes sequenced to date.
European with African traits
Genetic analysis revealed that individuals from both Zlatý kůň and Ranis likely had dark skin, dark hair, and brown eyes.
This aligns with their recent African ancestry. By analyzing shared genetic segments, the researchers estimated that their population consisted of only a few hundred individuals, dispersed over a broad region.
Interestingly, the Zlatý kůň/Ranis group left no genetic legacy in later European or global populations. This small group represents a distinct lineage of modern humans that diverged early after migrating out of Africa.
Human and Neanderthal connection
The Zlatý kůň/Ranis population coexisted with Neanderthals in Europe. However, their genomes showed no evidence of recent interbreeding with Neanderthals.
This contrasts with other early human groups in Europe, which exhibit such evidence.
“The fact that modern human groups, which may have arrived in Europe later, carry such Neanderthal ancestry while Ranis and Zlatý kůň do not could mean that the older Zlatý kůň/Ranis lineage may have entered Europe by a different route or did not overlap as extensively with the regions where Neanderthals lived,” speculated co-supervisor Kay Prüfer.
Shared ancestry discovered
Although the early modern humans showed no signs of recent Neanderthal admixture, they shared Neanderthal ancestry from an older event.
By analyzing the Neandertal DNA segments and using radiocarbon dating, researchers estimated that this admixture occurred between 45,000 and 49,000 years ago.
“These results provide us with a deeper understanding of the earliest pioneers that settled in Europe. They also indicate that any modern human remains found outside Africa that are older than 50,000 years could not have been part of the common, non-African population that interbred with Neanderthals and is now found across much of the world,” senior author Johannes Krause remarked.
First humans and Neanderthals in Europe
This study offers valuable insights into Europe’s earliest settlers. The Zlatý kůň/Ranis group represents a distinct lineage of early modern humans who carried traits reflecting their African heritage.
Despite their similarities and interactions with Homo sapiens, Neanderthals eventually disappeared, likely due to a combination of climate change, competition for resources, and possibly diseases brought by migrating humans.
Their story reminds us of the complex web of human evolution and the rich history we share with our ancient relatives.
The study is published in the journal Nature.
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