Neanderthals news, articles and features | ��è��Ƶ

Some of the last Neanderthals were surprisingly genetically diverse

Chris Simms — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 15:00:03 +0000

Genetic analysis of Neanderthals in north-western Europe reveals that this population was surprisingly genetically diverse, hinting that inbreeding didn’t lead to the species' demise

What really happened when ancient humans migrated out of Africa

Michael Marshall — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 17:00:38 +0000

The out-of-Africa migration, in which ancient humans went on to inhabit every other continent except Antarctica, may not have been one moment in time, but a long and slow process. Columnist Michael Marshall examines how archaeologists are rethinking this critical part of our history

Neanderthals treated a dental cavity by drilling into the tooth

Christa Lesté-Lasserre — Wed, 13 May 2026 18:00:51 +0000

A Neanderthal tooth shows clear signs of human intervention to treat bacterial decay, showing that the earliest dentistry began at least 59,000 years ago

These are the extinct humans that live on in your DNA

David Stock — Wed, 13 May 2026 16:43:19 +0000

Homo sapiens aren’t as unique as we once thought. In fact, only about 1.5 to 7 per cent of our DNA originated in our species alone. Everything else we share with our ancestors and those human species we once coexisted with, including Neanderthals, Denisovans and even some yet-to-be-identified “ghost populations”. This rewrites the story we have told ourselves about our species. We just aren’t that unique.

When our ancestors met these other human species, they didn’t just compete with them: they mated with them. And those encounters left a permanent record in our DNA. In other words, those ancient humans we thought had vanished didn’t necessarily disappear… Some of them are still here inside you.

Neanderthal ‘kneeprint’ found next to mysterious stalagmite circle

Michael Le Page — Fri, 08 May 2026 09:11:57 +0000

An impression made in clay around 175,000 years ago could be a kneeprint left by one of the builders of a strange stalagmite circle found deep inside Bruniquel cave in south-west France

Neanderthal infants were enormous compared with modern humans

James Woodford — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:00:13 +0000

A detailed analysis of the best-preserved Neanderthal infant skeleton ever found suggests that our ancient relatives grew much faster as young children

Are Neanderthals descendants of modern humans?

Michael Marshall — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 17:24:02 +0000

The gap between genetics and archaeology leaves us with an unclear picture of where the Neanderthals originated. Columnist Michael Marshall details a surprising new hypothesis that suggests they may have come from us

Ancient bones reveal vivid details of a Neanderthal elephant hunt

Emily H. Wilson — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 11:54:28 +0000

Researchers have re-analysed a set of elephant bones and a wooden spear found in Germany in 1948, which provide compelling evidence of Neanderthals' big game hunting abilities

Genetic clues tell the story of Neanderthals’ decline

Michael Marshall — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 19:00:32 +0000

The Neanderthal population shrank during a cold spell around 75,000 years ago, and the loss of genetic diversity may have contributed to their eventual extinction

Neanderthals may have treated wounds with antibiotic sticky tar

Michael Marshall — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 18:00:15 +0000

Tar made from birch tree bark is commonly found at Neanderthal sites, and experiments show that it kills some bacteria that cause skin infections

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