A fossilized Neanderthal, discovered in a cave system in the Rhône Valley, France, has been identified as belonging to an ancient and previously unknown lineage that split from other known Neanderthals around 100,000 years ago. This lineage remained genetically isolated for over 50,000 years.
The Neanderthal, nicknamed Thorin after a character from Tolkien’s works, lived in a small, secluded community between 42,000 and 50,000 years ago, according to genomic analysis published in the journal Cell Genomics. This discovery could shed light on the enigmatic reasons behind the extinction of the Neanderthals and suggests that the last Neanderthals had more complex population structures than previously thought.
Until now, the prevailing belief was that, at the time of their extinction, Neanderthals were a genetically homogeneous population. However, the findings related to Thorin challenge this notion. According to Tharsika Vimala, a population geneticist from the University of Copenhagen and the lead author of the study, There were at least two populations present at that time. The research suggests that Thorin’s population remained isolated for 50,000 years without exchanging genes with other Neanderthal groups.
Ludovic Slimak, a principal co-author and the discoverer of Thorin from the CNRS at Université Toulouse Paul Sabatier, points out that these two populations, separated by about a ten-day walk, coexisted without any interaction. This would be unimaginable for Homo sapiens and suggests that Neanderthals may have perceived their world very differently than we do, Slimak adds.
Thorin’s fossil remains were first discovered in 2015 in Grotte Mandrin, a well-studied cave system that also hosted early Homo sapiens, albeit not simultaneously. Based on Thorin’s location within the cave sediment, archaeologists initially estimated that he lived around 40,000–45,000 years ago, classifying him as a late Neanderthal. To determine his precise age and genetic relationships, the team extracted DNA from Thorin’s teeth and jawbone and compared his complete genome sequence to those of previously sequenced Neanderthals.
Surprisingly, the genomic analysis revealed that Thorin’s genome was significantly different from other late Neanderthals, resembling more closely the genomes of Neanderthals from over 100,000 years ago. This unexpected result led the researchers to question whether the discrepancy arose from archaeological dating or genomic sequencing. To resolve the puzzle, they analyzed isotopes in Thorin’s bones and teeth to determine the climate in which he lived. The results confirmed that Thorin lived during a very cold period, classifying him as a late Neanderthal.
Martin Sikora, a population geneticist and the study’s senior author from the University of Copenhagen, explains that Thorin’s genome is a remnant of some of the earliest Neanderthal populations in Europe. He suggests that Thorin’s lineage diverged from other late Neanderthal lineages around 105,000 years ago. Compared to previously sequenced Neanderthals, Thorin’s genome most closely resembles an individual excavated in Gibraltar. Slimak speculates that Thorin’s population may have migrated from Gibraltar to France.
This discovery implies that there was an unknown population of Mediterranean Neanderthals whose range extended from the westernmost point of Europe to the Rhône Valley in France. Knowing that Neanderthal communities were small and isolated could be key to understanding their extinction, as prolonged isolation typically reduces genetic diversity and limits a population’s ability to adapt to environmental changes and pathogens.
As a population, it is always beneficial to have contact with others, says Vimala. When isolated for too long, genetic variation is limited, reducing adaptability to changing climates and pathogens and socially restricting, as knowledge exchange and cultural evolution are hampered.
However, the researchers emphasize that more Neanderthal genomes need to be sequenced to understand fully the population structures and the reasons behind their extinction. Sikora suggests, If we had more genomes from other regions during the same period, we would likely find other deeply structured populations.
SOURCES
Slimak, Ludovic et al., Long genetic and social isolation in Neanderthals before their extinction. Cell Genomics, Volume 4, Issue 9, DOI:100593. 10.1016/j.xgen.2024.100593
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