Scientists have found that Neanderthals lived in isolation and interbred within their groups
Scientists have decoded the DNA of a Neanderthal about 110,000 years old and found that these ancient people lived in isolated groups. The genetic evidence points to frequent close kinship. This is important because it helps us understand how they lived and why they were different from modern humans.
The results show that their populations were significantly more closed.
Details
The study is based on DNA analysis of a Neanderthal found in Denisova Cave in Siberia.
Scientists found long stretches of identical DNA inherited from both parents. This indicates that the parents were close relatives, possibly cousins.
Such evidence suggests that Neanderthals lived in small groups with limited contact with other communities.
Comparisons with other genomes have shown that different groups of Neanderthals were very different from each other genetically - sometimes even more so than modern human populations.
This means that due to isolation, genetic changes in them happened faster.
The scientists also found that Neanderthals from Siberia were closer to older populations in the region than to western groups.
Why it matters
The study helps to better understand Neanderthals' lifestyle and evolution.
The scientists note:
- isolation may have accelerated genetic changes
- small groups limited gene diversity
- it may have affected the resilience of populations
The findings help explain how Neanderthals differed from modern humans.
Background
Neanderthals lived in Eurasia and disappeared about 40,000 years ago. Their DNA is partially preserved in modern humans.
It was previously thought that different groups of Neanderthals were more related to each other.
Source
The study is based on high-precision sequencing of the Neanderthal genome with an age of about 110 thousand years and comparison with other ancient DNA samples. The material is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2026).