A 50 thousand year-old love story between humans and Neanderthals

Tens of thousands of years ago, modern humans mated with Neanderthals. But exactly how and when that happened, and who those groups of humans were, was less known. New research adds some clues.

A 50 thousand year-old love story between humans and Neanderthals
Human Evolution exhibition at the Natural History Museum in January, 2024 in London, United Kingdom.

Tens of thousands of years ago, modern humans mated with Neanderthals. But exactly how and when that happened, and who those groups of humans were, was less known. New research adds some clues.

(Image credit: Mike Kemp)