Overview
- Researchers compared three female Neandertal genomes with DNA from 73 sub‑Saharan Africans to infer the direction of gene flow.
- The results point to predominantly Neandertal‑male × Homo sapiens‑female matings rather than random interbreeding.
- The finding challenges the idea that X‑chromosome Neandertal “deserts” in modern humans are explained mainly by purifying selection.
- Evidence indicates at least two admixture pulses, including one around 250,000 years ago and another about 45,000 years ago.
- The genetic data cannot reveal social context or consent, and later selection and demographic dynamics likely also shaped the pattern.