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Neanderthals' Population Decline Linked to Extinction, Study Reveals

11/5/2025

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Summary

Story summary

A recent study finds Neanderthals faced a population decline around 110,000 years ago, contributing to their eventual extinction.
Researchers analyzed fossils from Atapuerca in Spain and Krapina in Croatia, focusing on the semicircular canals in the inner ear to assess genetic diversity.
A Neanderthal bone fragment from Crimea, dating between 46,000 and 44,000 years ago, shows genetic ties to Siberian Neanderthals, suggesting extensive migrations across Eurasia during the Late Pleistocene.

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Story summary

A recent study finds Neanderthals faced a population decline around 110,000 years ago, contributing to their eventual extinction.
Researchers analyzed fossils from Atapuerca in Spain and Krapina in Croatia, focusing on the semicircular canals in the inner ear to assess genetic diversity.
A Neanderthal bone fragment from Crimea, dating between 46,000 and 44,000 years ago, shows genetic ties to Siberian Neanderthals, suggesting extensive migrations across Eurasia during the Late Pleistocene.