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Neanderthals: Our Nearest Ancient Human Relative, The Evolutionary Code Behind The 30000-Year Extinction
Author：卜可Published：November 23, 2023Updated：June 5, 2026
GenusMarch 12, 2026"Human" is only a term in the traditional sense, and from a genealogical point of view, it is very imprecise. In a narrow sense, human beings refer to all the people who have existed in history so far. However, human beings in biological taxonomy refer to "human genus", or "true genus". There are 17 known species, and modern people are only one of them.
Denisovans mixed with modern peopleMarch 12, 2026Denisovans are an ancient human species discovered through DNA analysis. They coexisted with Neanderthals and modern humans and interbred with both. This paper provides a detailed analysis of gene flow, the EPAS1 gene on the Tibetan Plateau, the Xiahe mandible, and the distribution of ancestral components across global populations.
Neanderthals mixed with modern humansFebruary 27, 2026Are modern people mixed with Neanderthals? How many Neanderthals genes do Europeans, Asians and Africans each contain? This article understands the history of gene exchange and evolution between humans and Neanderthals.
Homo erectusMarch 12, 2026Homo erectus, which existed about 1.8 million to 200000 years ago, is a critical and successful species in the history of human evolution. Their body proportions are close to those of modern people. They can systematically use fire and make complex tools. They not only created the Acheri culture, but also made human beings walk out of Africa for the first time, which can be called a milestone in the evolution of the human genus.
The oldest known human member—Orrorin tugenensisJune 5, 2026Orrorin tugenensis, also known as the “Millennium Man,” lived in Africa 6 million years ago and is one of the earliest known hominins to have walked upright. This paper presents the fossil discoveries, morphological characteristics, and evolutionary significance of this taxon.
February 25, 2026The amazing species of Australopithecus lived in Ethiopia about 3.3 million years ago. It was in the same period or even partially overlapped with the famous Afar species of Australopithecus (such as "Lucy"), which proved the diversity of human evolution and completely changed the previous The simple view of "straight line evolution" of human origin
Recent common ancestor based on chromosomes 1-22February 26, 2026Interpreting the recent common ancestor of human autosomes 1-22 from a genomic perspective, explaining DNA recombination, mutation and ancestral fragment inheritance, and popularizing the common ancestor time in the sense of human genetics.
Afa AustralopithecusMarch 9, 2026Australopithecus Afa is a vital species in the history of early human evolution. It lived in Africa more than 300 million years ago. The most famous representative is the fossil skeleton called "Lucy". She is also jokingly called "The grandmother of mankind", behind her is the "first family" of mankind ".
Late Paleolithic RevolutionFebruary 28, 2026About 50000 years ago, our race experienced something very special: just as Athena in Greek mythology injected soul into mankind, mankind suddenly possessed unprecedented figurative artistic creativity. This event, known as the "Late Paleolithic Revolution", is a watershed in the history of human evolution.
Orina CultureMarch 4, 2026What is Aorina culture? Age, distribution, tools, murals and sculptures (Chauvius Caves, Lions, Hochler Fellows Venus).
Mousterian cultureMay 26, 2026The Moster culture (Mousterian) was one of the most important stone industries of the Middle Paleolithic, closely related to Neanderthals. This article provides a systematic overview of the origins of the Mousterian culture, Levallois technology, tool assemblage characteristics, major archaeological sites, and its pivotal role in the history of human evolution.
Chartres-Péronne cultureMay 15, 2026Exploring the Châtelperronian culture of the Upper Paleolithic. As the final cultural testament to the Neanderthals, it illuminates the enigmatic history of two human species—Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans—whose paths converged, competed, and ultimately交融ed in Europe, as evidenced by the points and bone tools from the Fairy Cave site.
Denisovan ExtinctionMarch 4, 2026Why did the Denisovans become extinct? Reveal the survival trajectory of this mysterious ancient human group, analyze the core causes of extinction such as the Last Ice Age and Homo sapiens competition, and take you to understand the invisible walker in the history of human evolution.
The MRCA of modern humansFebruary 27, 2026What is the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) of modern humans? How is it different from Mitochondrial Eve and Y-chromosome Adam? This article uses popular logic to explain the mystery of the common ancestor of all mankind.
The Hobbit ExtinctionMarch 12, 2026Who were the Flores (Hobbits)? Why were they short? When did they become extinct? This article describes the fossils, evolution and extinction of this mysterious dwarf human.
The earliest modern humans outside AfricaMarch 4, 2026Where are the earliest modern fossils outside Africa and how many years ago? This article introduces key sites such as Kafze and Misria, and combs the real timeline of modern people coming out of Africa.
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