Neanderthals Didn't Go Extinct, They Merged with Humans

According to a study published in 2025, Neanderthals did not truly go extinct, but rather gradually merged with modern humans through interbreeding over thousands of years. The researchers found that Neanderthal DNA is still present in most non-Africans today, indicating a "genetic absorption" rather than complete extinction.

The study suggests that over a period of 10,000 to 30,000 years, Homo sapiens and Neanderthals bred and produced offspring together, leading to the gradual disappearance of the Neanderthal population. The smaller size of the Neanderthal population, estimated to be only a few thousand individuals, compared to the larger Homo sapiens population, may have contributed to their eventual dominance.

While other factors like environmental change and competition for resources may have played a role, the researchers argue that the "genetic admixture" between the two species was a key mechanism driving the Neanderthals' disappearance. This provides a plausible explanation for the gradual decline of Neanderthals, rather than a sudden "catastrophic climatic event" as some had proposed.