Reconstructing contact and a potential interbreeding geographical zone between Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans
Abstract While the interbreeding of Homo neanderthalensis (hereafter Neanderthal) and Anatomically modern human (AMH) has been proven, owing to the shortage of fossils and absence of appropriate DNA, the timing and geography of their interbreeding are not clearly known. In this study, we applied eco...
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Nature Portfolio
2024-09-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-70206-y |
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| author | Saman H. Guran Masoud Yousefi Anooshe Kafash Elham Ghasidian |
| author_facet | Saman H. Guran Masoud Yousefi Anooshe Kafash Elham Ghasidian |
| author_sort | Saman H. Guran |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract While the interbreeding of Homo neanderthalensis (hereafter Neanderthal) and Anatomically modern human (AMH) has been proven, owing to the shortage of fossils and absence of appropriate DNA, the timing and geography of their interbreeding are not clearly known. In this study, we applied ecological niche modelling (maximum entropy approach) and GIS to reconstruct the palaeodistribution of Neanderthals and AMHs in Southwest Asia and Southeast Europe and identify their contact and potential interbreeding zone during marine isotope stage 5 (MIS 5), when the second wave of interbreeding occurred. We used climatic variables characterizing the environmental conditions of MIS 5 ca. 120 to 80 kyr (averaged value) along with the topography and coordinates of Neanderthal and modern human archaeological sites to characterize the palaeodistribution of each species. Overlapping the models revealed that the Zagros Mountains were a contact and potential interbreeding zone for the two human species. We believe that the Zagros Mountains acted as a corridor connecting the Palearctic/Afrotropical realms, facilitating northwards dispersal of AMHs and southwards dispersal of Neanderthals during MIS 5. Our analyses are comparable with archaeological and genetic evidence collected during recent decades. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2bf9054e7582467a81641faae95b9615 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-09-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
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| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-2bf9054e7582467a81641faae95b96152025-08-20T03:05:18ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-09-011411910.1038/s41598-024-70206-yReconstructing contact and a potential interbreeding geographical zone between Neanderthals and anatomically modern humansSaman H. Guran0Masoud Yousefi1Anooshe Kafash2Elham Ghasidian3Institute for Prehistoric Archaeology, University of CologneStiftung Neanderthal MuseumSchool of Culture and Society, Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, Aarhus UniversityDiyarMehr Institute for Palaeolithic ResearchAbstract While the interbreeding of Homo neanderthalensis (hereafter Neanderthal) and Anatomically modern human (AMH) has been proven, owing to the shortage of fossils and absence of appropriate DNA, the timing and geography of their interbreeding are not clearly known. In this study, we applied ecological niche modelling (maximum entropy approach) and GIS to reconstruct the palaeodistribution of Neanderthals and AMHs in Southwest Asia and Southeast Europe and identify their contact and potential interbreeding zone during marine isotope stage 5 (MIS 5), when the second wave of interbreeding occurred. We used climatic variables characterizing the environmental conditions of MIS 5 ca. 120 to 80 kyr (averaged value) along with the topography and coordinates of Neanderthal and modern human archaeological sites to characterize the palaeodistribution of each species. Overlapping the models revealed that the Zagros Mountains were a contact and potential interbreeding zone for the two human species. We believe that the Zagros Mountains acted as a corridor connecting the Palearctic/Afrotropical realms, facilitating northwards dispersal of AMHs and southwards dispersal of Neanderthals during MIS 5. Our analyses are comparable with archaeological and genetic evidence collected during recent decades.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-70206-yZagros MountainsEcological nichePalaeoenvironmentNeanderthalsAnatomically modern humans |
| spellingShingle | Saman H. Guran Masoud Yousefi Anooshe Kafash Elham Ghasidian Reconstructing contact and a potential interbreeding geographical zone between Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans Scientific Reports Zagros Mountains Ecological niche Palaeoenvironment Neanderthals Anatomically modern humans |
| title | Reconstructing contact and a potential interbreeding geographical zone between Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans |
| title_full | Reconstructing contact and a potential interbreeding geographical zone between Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans |
| title_fullStr | Reconstructing contact and a potential interbreeding geographical zone between Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reconstructing contact and a potential interbreeding geographical zone between Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans |
| title_short | Reconstructing contact and a potential interbreeding geographical zone between Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans |
| title_sort | reconstructing contact and a potential interbreeding geographical zone between neanderthals and anatomically modern humans |
| topic | Zagros Mountains Ecological niche Palaeoenvironment Neanderthals Anatomically modern humans |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-70206-y |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT samanhguran reconstructingcontactandapotentialinterbreedinggeographicalzonebetweenneanderthalsandanatomicallymodernhumans AT masoudyousefi reconstructingcontactandapotentialinterbreedinggeographicalzonebetweenneanderthalsandanatomicallymodernhumans AT anooshekafash reconstructingcontactandapotentialinterbreedinggeographicalzonebetweenneanderthalsandanatomicallymodernhumans AT elhamghasidian reconstructingcontactandapotentialinterbreedinggeographicalzonebetweenneanderthalsandanatomicallymodernhumans |