The remains of an individual who lived in northern Italy about 30-40 thousand years ago are considered a hybrid of a man and a Neanderthal. If further analysis proves the assumption is correct, this will be the first direct evidence of such a crossing.
As a reminder, genetic studies have shown that the DNA of people of European and Asian descent contains 1–4% of Neanderthal genes.
The focus is on the lower jaw, excavated in the Riparo di Mezzena rock shelter in the Italian region of Monti Lessini, where both humans and Neanderthals could live at that time. “Judging by the morphology of the jaw, the face of the Mezzena individual was a combination of classic Neanderthal features with a cut lower jaw and no chin and modern human features - a protruding lower jaw and a strongly developed chin,” says co-author Sylvanas Condemi of Aix-Marseille University, France.
In addition, genetic analysis showed that this individual had Neanderthal mitochondrial DNA. From this, scientists conclude that they are looking at the fruit of love between a Neanderthal and a male Homo sapiens.
It should be noted that by the time people of the modern type reached Europe, the Mousterian culture had existed on the continent for about 200 thousand years. Numerous flint implements such as axes and spearheads are usually found in rock shelters, and Riparo di Mezzena is no exception. Therefore, it can be assumed that, despite hybridization, Neanderthals continued to adhere to their cultural traditions. Probably, the two populations did not just meet, mate and merge into a single group.
Some finds suggest that modern man penetrated the south of Italy 45 thousand years ago. Thus, humans and Neanderthals have lived side by side in the same areas of Europe for thousands of years. Was the coexistence peaceful - or was it “ethnic cleansing” with the rape of the vanquished?
