In a recent study, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology have revealed evidence of a previously undocumented encounter between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens. This encounter likely took place approximately 120,000 years ago in the Middle East, significantly earlier than the previous estimates of between 50,000 and 60,000 years ago. This discovery has significant implications for our understanding of the timeline of human evolution. It suggests that the two subspecies of humans, Homo sapiens and Neanderthals, coexisted in the same area for a much longer period than previously thought. The findings also raise the possibility that the two subspecies interacted with each other in some way, though it is still unclear what form this interaction may have taken. This study is just the latest in a long line of discoveries that have pushed back the timeline of human evolution and shed more light on the complex relationship between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals. As our understanding of this relationship continues to evolve, so too does our understanding of our own history.

Read Full Article Here

source: Phys.org