Neanderthal Ghost Lineage Revealed: 50,000 Years of Complete Isolation
Genetic analysis of a Neanderthal from Grotte Mandrin in southern France reveals a 'ghost lineage' named Thorin that lived about 50,000 years ago and remained completely isolated from other Neanderthal populations for ~50,000 years, suggesting Neanderthals were far more fragmented than previously thought even when neighboring groups coexisted.