Europe’s oldest known humans mated with Neandertals surprisingly often

The two species regularly interbred by about 45,000 years ago

human skull from early humans in Europe

DNA from a woman’s skull (pictured) previously found in what is now the Czech Republic indicates that she belonged to one of the oldest known human populations living in Europe more than 45,000 years ago. Those people apparently interbred frequently with Neandertals.

Marek Jantač

When some of the earliest human migrants to Europe encountered Neandertals already living there around 45,000 years ago, hookups flourished.