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Image Credit: Luc Doyon and Dušan Mihailović.
Genetic Bottleneck Reshaped Neanderthal History 65000 Years Ago
A new genetic study has revealed a major turning point in Neanderthal history, showing that nearly all European Neanderthal populations disappeared around 65,000 years ago, leaving only a single surviving lineage that later spread across the continent.
The research, published in the journal PNAS, analyzed mitochondrial DNA from Neanderthal remains discovered across multiple European sites. By comparing newly sampled data with previously published sequences, researchers identified a dramatic genetic shift in late Neanderthal populations.
Before this event, several distinct genetic lineages existed across Europe. However, after approximately 65,000 years ago, these diverse groups were replaced by a single lineage originating from southwestern France. This group, often referred to as “Late Neanderthals,” subsequently expanded across much of Europe.
The findings suggest that this transformation was likely linked to severe climatic changes during the last glacial period, when expanding ice sheets drastically altered environments across northern Europe. While Neanderthals had survived earlier glaciations, this episode appears to have caused widespread regional population collapse, with only one group enduring and later repopulating the continent.
This event also resulted in a significant reduction in genetic diversity. The surviving populations were closely related, indicating what researchers describe as a “genetic bottleneck.” Over time, this limited diversity became even more pronounced, particularly in the period leading up to Neanderthal extinction around 40,000 years ago.
Low genetic diversity is considered a potential contributing factor to their eventual disappearance. Reduced variation may have made Neanderthal populations more vulnerable to environmental stress, disease, and competition, limiting their ability to adapt to changing conditions.
Despite their genetic similarity, archaeological evidence shows that later Neanderthal groups displayed considerable cultural variation across different regions. This suggests that populations were relatively isolated from one another, developing distinct local traditions even as their genetic pool remained narrow.
Comparative evidence from Neanderthal groups in Siberia shows similar patterns of low diversity and small, isolated populations, reinforcing the idea that fragmentation and limited gene flow were widespread features of late Neanderthal societies.
The study provides new insight into the complex factors behind Neanderthal decline, highlighting how climate change, population dynamics, and genetic constraints may have combined to shape their final chapters in human evolution.
Published on: 27-03-2026
Edited by: Abdulmnam Samakie
Source: Live Science