Over 40,000 years ago, the last Neanderthals vanished, yet their genes continue to influence modern humans. Ancient Homo sapiens and Neanderthals interbred around 250,000 years ago, leading to hybrid children with mixed traits. Recent research identified a 5-year-old hybrid girl from 140,000 years ago in Skhul Cave, Israel. Her skull showed Neanderthal and Homo sapiens characteristics. Experts believe her skeleton provides insight into what these ancient hybrids may have looked like, combining features from both species.
Scientists believe that hybrid children would inherit traits from both of their parents. This means hybrids might have a Neanderthal's long arms and short legs with the smaller skull of a Homo sapiens.
In a new research paper published this month, scientists revealed that a 5-year-old girl who lived 140,000 years ago was likely a Neanderthal-Homo sapiens hybrid.
When researchers re-examined the skull with CT scanning, they found that it had a mixture of both Neanderthal and Homo sapiens traits.
The girl's skeleton tells us what hybrids might have looked like, exhibiting features indicating a blend of both ancestral forms.
Collection
[
|
...
]