Ancient Encounters: Unraveling the Neanderthal Mystery in Bulgaria’s Bacho Kiro Cave

In the shadows of Bulgaria’s Bacho Kiro Cave, a groundbreaking discovery is rewriting the story of our ancient ancestors. Recent findings reveal a tale of interbreeding, migration, and unexpected genetic legacies that link us to our Neanderthal cousins. Join us on a journey through time as we uncover the secrets of our shared past and the remarkable journeys of the earliest Homo sapiens in Europe.

The discovery of three individuals who lived roughly 45,000 years ago in Bacho Kiro Cave is shedding new light on the complex interactions between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals. These individuals, all males, had 3% to 3.8% Neanderthal DNA, indicating that they had Neanderthal ancestors about five to seven generations back in their family histories. This evidence of interbreeding, or admixture, challenges previous notions of how Homo sapiens and Neanderthals interacted.

One of the most fascinating aspects of this discovery is the unexpected genetic links to present-day East Asians. While it was known that present-day human populations outside Africa bear a small percentage of Neanderthal DNA, the prevalence of interbreeding and its implications for the relationship between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals are still being understood. The new study suggests that interbreeding was more common than previously known for the first Homo sapiens in Europe.

Geneticist Mateja Hajdinjak of the Francis Crick Institute in London, lead author of the study, notes that all three individuals had Neanderthal ancestors in their recent family history. This suggests that interbreeding between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals was frequent when the two groups met, and it raises the possibility that part of the reason Neanderthals disappeared is that they were absorbed into larger modern human groups.

The genetic contribution from this group of individuals, however, is found particularly in East Asia, including China, rather than in Europe. This suggests that some individuals from this group eventually migrated eastward. This study challenges previous understandings of early human migrations into Europe and suggests that the earliest history of modern humans in Europe may have involved population replacements.

Another study published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution adds to our understanding of Europe’s early Homo sapiens populations. Scientists sequenced the genome of a Homo sapiens female using DNA extracted from a skull found southwest of Prague in the Czech Republic. This woman, believed to have lived more than 45,000 years ago, carried 3% Neanderthal ancestry and bore genetic traits suggesting she had dark skin and dark eyes.

Her group, distinct from the one in Bulgaria, appears to have died out without leaving genetic ancestry among modern-day people. These discoveries challenge our understanding of early human history and underscore the complexity of our shared past with Neanderthals. As we continue to unravel these mysteries, we gain a deeper appreciation for the journeys our ancestors took and the connections that bind us to our past.

source: https://www.voanews.com/a/europe_bulgarian-cave-remains-reveal-surprises-about-earliest-homo-sapiens-europe/6204290.html