Long genetic and social isolation in Neanderthals before their extinction

Area of Science:

• Paleogenomics
• Paleolithic Archaeology
• Human Evolution

Background:

• Late European Neanderthal populations were previously thought to be a single, interconnected metapopulation.
• Genetic studies have largely indicated a lack of significant population structure among these groups.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the genome of a late Neanderthal individual from Grotte Mandrin, France.
• To investigate potential population structure and genetic isolation within late Neanderthals.
• To provide insights into the causes of Neanderthal disappearance.

Main Methods:

• Genome sequencing of a late Neanderthal fossil (nicknamed "Thorin").
• Radiometric dating of associated archaeological findings (approx. 50-42 thousand years ago).
• Comparative genomic analysis with other late Neanderthal genomes.

Main Results:

• The "Thorin" genome indicates a divergence from other late Neanderthals around 105,000 years ago.
• Thorin's lineage appears to have been genetically isolated for approximately 50,000 years.
• No evidence of genetic introgression with other known late European Neanderthal populations was found.

Conclusions:

• Late Neanderthal populations exhibited greater genetic structuring and isolation than previously understood.
• Genetic isolation may have played a role in the regional disappearance of specific Neanderthal groups.
• This discovery necessitates a re-evaluation of hypotheses concerning Neanderthal population dynamics and extinction.