When modern humans emerged from Africa, they didn’t just explore new places. They met other human species, and in the Zagros Mountains of Iran, they did more than just say hello.
New research suggests that this is where rational human and Neanderthal man They interbred with each other, which changed the fate of our species at least, as we still carry Neanderthal DNA thousands of years later.
Archaeologist Saman Goran of the University of Cologne in Germany and colleagues used a combination of genetic, archaeological, topographical and environmental data to narrow down the site.
“We believe that the Zagros Mountains served as a corridor… to facilitate the spread of ISIS northward. [modern humans] And scattered to the south Neanderthal man“team” He writes in his published paper:.
This area includes one of the most famous Neanderthal man Archaeological sites, Shanidar Cave, where the remains of ten Neanderthal individuals were discovered, including the famous Flower Cemetery.
Such discoveries have revealed that Neanderthals were more intelligent, creative and caring than we first thought.
Goran and his team’s models, based on multiple data sources, suggest that the Zagros Mountains are where environmental conditions best suited to modern humans overlap with those most suitable for our now-extinct cousins.
They include colder habitats such as the Neanderthal birthplaces in the ancient Arctic, as well as the warmer, richer habitats of the tropical African world where our species originated.
Archaeological and fossil evidence indicates that [modern humans] Entered Southwest Asia during [this time]Researchers He says.
This timing, which falls between about 120,000 and 80,000 years ago, coincides with the second wave of interbreeding that is still written into our genes.
Thanks to its high biodiversity, the Zagros region also had enough resources to allow both species to live side by side, and the diversity of environments allowed for safe pockets when climatic conditions became difficult.
“Borderlands between two worlds are important in biology because they serve as refuges for species from icy environments,” according to Goran and his team. Explains.
These shifts in climatic conditions may have pushed the two species closer together, leading to increased interactions.
A single tooth of a Neanderthal man is 65 thousand years old.associated with A group of stone toolsThis study supports the ecological modeling developed by Juran and his team. It puts Neanderthals in the right place at the right time.
What’s more, Previous research Similarities in facial features between Neanderthals and modern humans have also been found in this region.
Curiously, although there is ample evidence of Neanderthal DNA in humans, we have yet to find an example of it. Modern human DNA in Neanderthals.
This may be due to the scarcity of available DNA samples from Neanderthals, or perhaps successful gene exchange was rare because our species were genetically separated for 500,000 years or so.
Goran and his team encourage Iranian archaeologists to investigate the area they have identified for more evidence of such mysteries.
The two species of humans shared the Persian Plateau for tens of thousands of years, before Neanderthals lost their grip on existence. Now, only these encounters allow the other humanity to survive.
This research was published in Scientific reports.
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