Story perspectives

Study finds Chinese-American brain differences outsize Neanderthal gap

4/29/2026

Summary

Story summary

Anthropologist Tom Schoenemann and colleagues published a PNAS paper on April 27, 2026 comparing Neanderthal endocasts with MRI scans.
They measured 13 brain regions in 100 Han Chinese and 100 European-American subjects, finding Chinese-American differences exceeded Neanderthal-modern differences in nine regions.
The study estimated a 0.14-standard-deviation cognitive gap between Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens and suggested demographic pressure and genetic swamping, not intelligence, most likely caused Neanderthal replacement.

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Story summary

Anthropologist Tom Schoenemann and colleagues published a PNAS paper on April 27, 2026 comparing Neanderthal endocasts with MRI scans.
They measured 13 brain regions in 100 Han Chinese and 100 European-American subjects, finding Chinese-American differences exceeded Neanderthal-modern differences in nine regions.
The study estimated a 0.14-standard-deviation cognitive gap between Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens and suggested demographic pressure and genetic swamping, not intelligence, most likely caused Neanderthal replacement.