Unraveling the Mystery of Excessive Neanderthal DNA in Certain Individuals
A new study analyzing European and Asian genomes over the past 40,000 years sheds light on the genetic exchange between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals. The research reveals that early farmers migrating from Anatolia and the Levant diluted the amount of Neanderthal ancestry in European populations, explaining the higher proportion of Neanderthal DNA in East Asian populations. The study also suggests that the farther Homo sapiens migrated out of Africa, the more Neanderthal DNA they acquired. The findings highlight the complex interbreeding history between our species and Neanderthals and provide insights into the distribution of Neanderthal ancestry in modern human populations.
