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Neanderthals May Never Have Truly Gone Extinct - According to new research, the story of the Neanderthals might not be one of extinction but one of absorption. A new mathematical model suggests that Homo sapiens gradually incorporated Neanderthal populations through interbreeding, and over 10,000–30,000 years their distinct lineage may have merged into ours. People of non-African ancestry today carry about 1–4% Neanderthal DNA. The modeling by Andrea Amadei and colleagues shows that even without any survival advantage, the much larger populations of modern humans would eventually dilute smaller Neanderthal groups through continuous mixing. This supports archaeological evidence indicating a long, overlapping coexistence, multiple migration waves out of Africa, and repeated interbreeding events — pointing to a slow blending rather than a sudden disappearance. This reframes the entire narrative. Neanderthals weren’t wiped out solely by disaster, climate, or conflict. Their legacy lives on within us. They weren’t just distant cousins — they are part of our deep human ancestry. It forces us to rethink what “extinction” means: is it truly the end, or can it be a transformation through absorption and continuity? © The Archaeologist #drthehistories