DNA rewrites when Neanderthals bred with modern humans– www.futurity.org
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Excerpt:
The findings show the interbreeding started about 50,500 years ago and lasted about 7,000 years—until Neanderthals began to disappear.
That interbreeding left Eurasians with many genes inherited from our Neanderthal ancestors, which in total make up between 1% and 2% of our genomes today.
A more precise timeline for modern human interactions with Neanderthals can help scientists understand when humans emigrated out of Africa and peopled the globe, while understanding the DNA that Neanderthals shared with our ancestors provides information on the role Neanderthal genes play in human health.