Charles Q. Choi is a contributing writer for Live Science and Space.com. He covers all things human origins and astronomy as well as physics, animals and general science topics. Charles has a Master of Arts degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia, School of Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Florida.
It's quick and easy to access Live Science Plus, simply enter your email below. We'll send you a confirmation and sign you up for our daily newsletter, keeping you up to date with the latest science news.
'That's why there's 9 billion of us and not 9 billion of some other primate': Why our ability to adapt is humanity's 'superpower'Monte Verde, one of the earliest Indigenous sites in South America, is much younger than thought, study claims. But others call it 'egregiously poor geological work.''We got evidence of boars, deer, bears, aurochs': Ancient DNA reveals sunken realm Doggerland had habitable forests during the last ice ageScientists find 2 marsupial species, thought to have gone extinct 6,000 years ago, living in the forests of New Guinea'They are life, but not as we now know it': 26-foot organism that lived 420 million years ago is completely unknown branch of animal kingdomUnlock instant access to exclusive member features.Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsSign up for the latest discoveries, groundbreaking research and fascinating breakthroughs that impact you and the wider world direct to your inbox.Feed your curiosity with an exclusive mystery every week, solved with science and delivered direct to your inbox before it's seen anywhere else.Sign up to our free science & technology newsletter for your weekly fix of fascinating articles, quick quizzes, amazing images, and moreSign up to our monthly entertainment newsletter to keep up with all our coverage of the latest sci-fi and space movies, tv shows, games and books.Discover this week's must-see night sky events, moon phases, and stunning astrophotos. Sign up for our skywatching newsletter and explore the universe with us!Before Neanderthals went extinct, they experienced a major upheaval that resulted in just one of their genetic lineages surviving in Europe and then expanding across the continent, a new study shows.Did modern humans wipe out the Neanderthals? New evidence may finally provide answers.recovered from Neanderthal fossils can shed light not just on their extinction but on their history in general. In the new study, researchers examined DNA from mitochondria in cells, which help generate energy for the body, and get passed down from mothers to offspring. The scientists gathered 10 mitochondrial DNA sequences from Neanderthals excavated from six archaeological sites in Belgium, France, Germany and Serbia. They analyzed them alongside 49 Neanderthal mitochondrial DNA sequences released in previous research. Neanderthals had experienced multiple glaciations before, but the last one proved harsh on their survival.The team found that in Europe, where Neanderthals ultimately died out, several mitochondrial DNA lineages existed until about 65,000 years ago. After this point, these groups were replaced by a single Neanderthal mitochondrial genetic lineage originating from southwestern France. These"Late Neanderthals" proceeded to disperse across Europe.Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors"We don't think our findings suggest that Neanderthals were migrating to the Mediterranean," he said."We think Neanderthal groups in northern Europe perished, while a Neanderthal group that was already in southwestern France survived this climate change and then went on to expand across a broader region. Neanderthals had experienced multiple glaciations before, but the last one proved harsh on their survival." The study also found that"there was a kind of genetic impoverishment among the Late Neanderthals," Posth said."Since they appeared to emerge from this single group, their genetic diversity overall was reduced drastically compared to what came before — they were all extremely similar on a genetic level across Europe, from Spain to the Caucasus to northern Europe."'More advanced' farming women married hunter-gatherer men in Europe thousands of years ago, ancient DNA reveals Humans and Neanderthals interbred — but it was mostly male Neanderthals and female humans who coupled up, study finds We've seen evidence that Neanderthal populations replaced each other, and this paper really creates a ground story as to why that might be — because Neanderthals went extinct in places all the time, and then other Neanderthal groups went in and recolonized the same placesThis low genetic diversity — which grew most pronounced about 42,000 years ago, shortly before Neanderthals generally died out —"might have played a role in their extinction," Posth noted."We don't think there was a single reason the Neanderthals went extinct, but this lack of genetic diversity would have made them more predisposed to not really survive climatic changes and other disruptions." Likewise, Neanderthal groups in the Altai Mountains of Siberia were more closely related to each other than to European Neanderthals, and these Siberian Neanderthals also had low genetic diversity and lived in small, isolated groups, another March 23 study published in the journal Research group claims preeclampsia doomed the Neanderthals, but experts say it's just a 'thought experiment' Despite this low genetic diversity, the Late Neanderthals in Europe appeared quite diverse across sites in terms of their artifacts and art."So after the Neanderthals re-expanded across Europe, we think that Late Neanderthal groups were not highly connected with each other," Posth said."This would have led to more inbred groups, explaining the low genetic diversity, but also more cultural and archaeological diversity, since these groups were isolated and so would have developed more specialized cultures." "We've seen evidence that Neanderthal populations replaced each other, and this paper really creates a ground story as to why that might be — because Neanderthals went extinct in places all the time, and then other Neanderthal groups went in and recolonized the same places,"Future research could seek to test these findings by analyzing DNA from Neanderthal cell nuclei instead of their mitochondria, Posth said. However, this will be a major challenge, as DNA from nuclei is several hundred times less abundant than DNA from mitochondria in cells.Fotiadou, C. M., Pedersen, J. B., Rougier, H., Roksandic, M., Spyrou, M. A., Nägele, K., Reiter, E., Bocherens, H., Kandel, A. W., Haidle, M. N., Streicher, T. P., Conard, N. J., Schilt, F., Godinho, R. M., Uthmeier, T., Doyon, L., Semal, P., Krause, J., Barbieri, A., . . . Posth, C. . Archaeogenetic insights into the demographic history of Late Neanderthals. Charles Q. Choi is a contributing writer for Live Science and Space.com. He covers all things human origins and astronomy as well as physics, animals and general science topics. Charles has a Master of Arts degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia, School of Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Florida. Charles has visited every continent on Earth, drinking rancid yak butter tea in Lhasa, snorkeling with sea lions in the Galapagos and even climbing an iceberg in Antarctica.NeanderthalsNeanderthals World's oldest known rock art predates modern humans' entrance into Europe — and it was found in an Indonesian caveMystery medical episode that left astronaut unable to speak shows one of NASA's biggest risks as moon missions ramp upAstronauts may struggle to reproduce in outer space, study suggests — what does that mean for the future of space colonization? Our fossil fuel economy is a house of cards and Trump's war in Iran is about to topple it. The need for a clean energy transition has never been clearer. Here's the stargazing gear you need for April 2026 — don't miss the Lyrids, two comets and the full moon DNA shed by every living thing is lurking in the environment — and it could tell us how Earth is changing in real time
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Shanghai Jiao Tong University Global Recruitment - Shanghai (CN) job with Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghai Jiao Tong University Global Recruitment Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) is one of the prestigious higher education institutions of higher learning with the longest history and reputation at home and abroad.
Read more »
Lightning on Jupiter could be up to 1 million times stronger than on EarthCharles Q. Choi is a contributing writer for Space.com and Live Science. He covers all things human origins and astronomy as well as physics, animals and general science topics. Charles has a Master of Arts degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia, School of Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Florida.
Read more »
LA’s Getty Museum presents ‘Photography and the Black Arts Movement’“Photography and the Black Arts Movement' explores the role photography played in fostering Black empowerment.
Read more »
Bay Area arts: 9 great shows and concerts to catch this weekendOfferings range from 2 blockbuster musicals to an orchestral performance of spacey soundtracks in San Jose.
Read more »
Harlandale ISD marks 50 years of Cultural Arts Fair with parade, performances and 5K runThe Harlandale Independent School District is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its Cultural Arts Fair this Saturday with a parade, student performances and a new five-kilometer run.
Read more »
Trump administration opens investigations into race in admissions at 3 medical schoolsThe schools are Stanford University, Ohio State and the University of California, San Diego.
Read more »