Descendants of modern people and extinct people show up

Scientists believe they have found the first evidence of mating behavior between Nealderthals and our ancestors.

Discovery reported that archaeologists once unearthed a human remains in a cave called Riparo di Mezzena, the Monti Lessini region in northern Italy. This person, called Mezzena, used to live 30,000 to 40,000 years ago.

Illustration of Neanderthal life in the cave. (Photo: Discovery)

Silvana Condemi, an anthropologist at the Ai-Marseille University, and colleagues analyzed DNA of the remains and used 3D technology to restore Mezzena's form. The team found this to be a product of a female Neanderthal and a modern-day male (Homo sapien).

"In terms of anatomy, Mezzena's lower jaw is quite similar to the lower jaw of Neanderthal (without chin) and modern people (lower jaw protruding and with chin)," Condemi explained.

If Mezzena is truly a product of modern people and Neanderthals, then the remains of this person are the clearest evidence of mating between the two strains.

The Neanderthals are a species in the genus, but extinct. A part of the anthropology considers Neanderthal a sub-species of modern humans, but many scientists believe that they are a separate species.

Scientists have identified that modern and Neanderthals have mated and the Neanderthal DNA still exists in humans today. They also surmised that the two strains lived in Europe for several thousand years before the Neanderthals became extinct about 30,000 years ago. The interaction between two human strains in Europe is an interesting topic for anthropologists.

It is possible that Neanderthals have built their culture before modern humans arrived in Europe. Archaeologists found axes and javelins made by Neanderthals in many shops throughout Europe. From these artifacts, experts say that, although Neanderthals interact with modern people, they maintain their cultural traditions.