Scientists Reveal the Surprising Sex Lives of Neanderthals and Early Humans

Scientists Reveal the Surprising Sex Lives of Neanderthals and Early Humans

Welcome back to the Abstract! Here are the studies this week that exposed prehistoric hookups, marched toward death, feasted on their own bodies, and found a buried legend in the Sahara.First, Neanderthal males had lots more babies with human females than human males had with Neanderthal females. What’s up with that?! Then, strap in for a stellar swan song, antlers for breakfast, and a timeless style icon from the Cretaceous.As always, for more …

Human Women Preferred Neanderthal Men, Study Suggests

For years, scientists have known that many modern humans carry traces of Neanderthal DNA. If you’re of non-African descent, there’s a strong chance that about 1–2 percent of your genome comes from Neanderthals. But one question has puzzled researchers for decades: Why is Neanderthal DNA almost missing from parts of the X chromosome? A new study published in Science proposes a surprising answer. The so-called “Neanderthal deserts” in our genome m…

Ancient love stories: How Neanderthal–human relationships shaped our DNA

Our DNA carries the history of ancient migrations, encounters, and relationships between different human groups. A new study suggests that intimate connections between modern humans and Neanderthals left a surprising mark on the human genome. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have found evidence that ancient mating patterns may explain why Neanderthal DNA is mostly […] The post Ancient love stories: How Neanderthal–human relationship…