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Updated: Jun 14, 2025

Optimized Bone Sampling Protocols for the Retrieval of Ancient DNA from Archaeological Remains
Published on: November 30, 2021
Reconstructing contact and a potential interbreeding geographical zone between Neanderthals and anatomically modern
Saman H Guran1,2, Masoud Yousefi3,4, Anooshe Kafash5
1Institute for Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. samanguran@gmail.com.
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.
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