Reacción a "The last Neanderthals in northwestern Europe had greater genetic diversity than previously thought"

The study reveals new insights into Neanderthal genetics, whilst also improving the quality of the genetic data we previously had, thanks to new nuclear DNA data. It is interesting to note that the integration of palaeoanthropology, genetics and sulphur levels in their bones reveals, to some extent, the social structure and mobility patterns of the last groups of this species.

The findings provide a benchmark for understanding the genetic diversity of late Neanderthals shortly before their extinction and, to some extent, for ruling out low genetic variability as a reason for their extinction – or, at least, as a universal cause across the entire continent. However, in this case, we will have to wait for genetic data from other regions to determine whether this characteristic was unique to the Meuse Basin or to the whole of Eurasia.

The authors suggest that the climatic fluctuations of this period must have had an impact on these final populations. Other recently published studies suggest that in areas where climatic fluctuations caused greater disruption to ecosystems, Neanderthals disappeared earlier, whilst in areas where such disruptions were less pronounced, they survived for longer, even co-existing with H. sapiens. It appears that the region spanning France and Belgium acted, to some extent, as an area of geographical isolation, as no genetic interbreeding between Neanderthals and H. sapiens has been found in these individuals.

New nuclear DNA data from other European regions will help provide a more detailed understanding of the genetic diversity of the last Neanderthal populations prior to their extinction.