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Modern human being and Neanderthals clearly interbred , genetic grounds shows , but exactly where and when has continue murky . Now , a new study pinpoints where one wave of those face-off occurred — the Zagros Mountains in what is now mostly Iran .
" The geographics of the Iranian Plateau has been almost at the intersection of human migrations , " lead authorSaman Guran , an archaeologist in the Institute for Prehistoric Archaeology at the University of Cologne in Germany , told Live Science in an e-mail .
Neanderthals (pictured here) and modern humans met — and potentially, interbred — in the Zagros Mountains, between 120,000 and 80,000 years ago.
This part was a junction zona where the lovesome ecosystems more hospitable to former advanced human being transitioned to the colder climate that accommodate the Neanderthals , he tot up .
Neanderthal emerged around 400,000 years ago and hold out in Europe and Asia , while the ancestor of modern humans germinate in Africa around 300,000 years ago and disseminate throughout the world . Genetic evidence suggest thatNeanderthalsandHomo sapienscame together multiple time — likely around250,000to 200,000 years ago , and then between 120,000 and 100,000 years ago , and finally , around50,000years ago — before Neanderthals disappear as a distinguishable population .
Given the locations ofarchaeologicalsites with Neanderthal or earlyH. sapiensartifacts , the most likely position that these group met was somewhere in the Middle East . But there is a distinguishable famine of ancient human and boorish bones from this area , meaning it ’s not currently possible to identify cross through " intercrossed " skull orDNA .
Homo sapiens and Neanderthals met — and potentially, interbred — in the Zagros Mountains, between 120,000 and 80,000 years ago, a new study suggests.
Related : desoxyribonucleic acid of ' Thorin , ' one of the last Neanderthals , lastly sequenced , revealing inbreeding and 50,000 long time of genetic isolation
To remedy this lack of information , the research team created an bionomical model combine with geographic data pinpointing Neanderthal and human archeological internet site to restore the most likely places where Neanderthals and modern humans overlap during the second wave of hybridizing .
They found that modern humans and Neanderthals met — and potentially , interbred — in the Zagros Mountains , between 120,000 and 80,000 years ago . The squad published their findings Sept. 3 in the journalScientific Reports .
The Zagros Mountains extend 990 mile ( 1,600 kilometers ) long and are settle mostly in Iran . They are part of the Persian plateau , which wasrecently discoveredto have been a " hub " forHomo sapiensaround 70,000 years ago . But this orbit also had multiple ecosystem that could have support both chemical group , the study found .
One of the most pregnant Neanderthal sites ever discovered , Shanidar Cave , is locate in the Zagros Mountains . Ten skeletons have been found in this cave so far ; several havesigns of injuries , and others render strong evidence that the Neanderthalsburied their dead . However , most of the Zagros area has not been look into .
" archaeologic datum in this region is very poor , " Guran say . " We have programme to get good evidence , " he said , ideally the " recovery of strong-arm human stay from archaeological excavation . Stone pecker and better chronology are also a bang-up avail . "
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The researchers ' ecological model , which considered environmental variables such as temperature and downfall , supplement the archeologic and transmissible evidence of when and where Neanderthals and early man mated .
" The approaching used for the ecological model is alike to ours,“Leonardo Vallini , a molecular anthropologist at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz , Germany , who was not involved in the bailiwick , evidence Live Science in an electronic mail . " However , we built bionomical models only forHomo sapiens . " The ecological overlap with Neanderthals in the Zagros Mountains " is a nice check that the area could have play a crucial character in the earliest part ofHomo sapiens ' expanding upon into Eurasia , " Vallini said .
This type of mannequin can aid archaeologists further specialize down the best places to dig in the future tense , the researchers suggest in their study . " We encourage Persian archeologist to convey field excavations in this possible interbreeding arena , " they save , and " we await many exciting discovery that will shed light on human evolution and dispersion . "
