An international team of researchers has used innovative ecological modeling techniques to identify, for the first time, the possible geographical areas where Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans might have encountered and interbred tens of thousands of years ago.
The study, recently published in the journal Scientific Reports, highlights the crucial role played by certain geographical regions, particularly the Zagros Mountains in southwestern Asia, in facilitating these momentous encounters between ancient human species.
The researchers, led by Saman H. Guran from the Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology at the University of Cologne, employed an innovative methodology combining ecological niche modeling (ENM) and geographic information systems (GIS) to reconstruct the paleodistribution of Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans in southwestern Asia and southeastern Europe during Marine Isotope Stage 5 (MIS 5), a period that spans approximately from 120,000 to 80,000 years ago.
This time interval is particularly significant as it coincides with what is believed to be the second wave of interbreeding between these two ancient human species, according to previous genetic evidence.
The study is based on a fundamental premise: that the geographical distributions of species are influenced by environmental and climatic factors. By analyzing the locations of known archaeological sites associated with Neanderthals and modern humans, along with paleoclimatic and topographic data, the researchers were able to create models predicting the most likely areas where these species could have coexisted and potentially interacted.
The model generated by the research team identifies the Zagros Mountains, a mountain range extending from southeastern Turkey to southern Iran, as a contact zone and potential interbreeding area between Neanderthals and modern humans. This region, located at the intersection of the Palearctic and Afrotropical biogeographical realms, would have provided a diverse and resource-rich environment capable of sustaining both species simultaneously.
The significance of the Zagros Mountains as a contact zone is supported by several factors. First, the region is characterized by environmental conditions that would have been familiar to both Neanderthals, who originated in the Palearctic realm, and modern humans, who evolved in Africa.
Second, the Zagros Mountains cover a vast geographical area, stretching over 1,500 kilometers, making them capable of supporting large, stable human populations. Additionally, the region is exceptionally diverse in terms of topography and biodiversity, which would have facilitated the overlap of ecological niches between the two species.
Interestingly, while climate emerged as the key determinant of Neanderthal habitat, the distribution of modern humans was significantly influenced by topographic variations. This distinction suggests that the two species may have had different adaptive strategies and habitat preferences, which could have influenced their dispersion patterns and ultimately their encounters.
The analysis revealed that annual precipitation and the maximum temperature of the warmest month were the most important predictors of Neanderthal distribution, while slope and topographic diversity were more influential in the distribution of modern humans.
The findings suggest that the Persian Plateau, in particular, may have played a crucial role as a center of distribution, dispersion, and evolution of hominins.
The study is not without limitations. The authors acknowledge that the scarcity of fossils and the absence of appropriate DNA remain significant obstacles in research on interbreeding between Neanderthals and modern humans. However, they argue that their model-based approach provides an independent and complementary line of evidence that can help fill gaps in our knowledge.
Looking ahead, the authors of the study hope that their findings will stimulate further research in the Zagros Mountains region. They suggest that targeted archaeological excavations in the areas identified as potential contact zones could reveal new fossil evidence or artifacts that shed more light on the nature of interactions between Neanderthals and modern humans.
SOURCES
Guran, S.H., Yousefi, M., Kafash, A. et al. Reconstructing contact and a potential interbreeding geographical zone between Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans. Sci Rep 14, 20475 (2024). doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-70206-y
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