Neanderthals and the Genetic Bottleneck: A New Chapter in Human Evolution

A new study in Nature Communications reveals that Neanderthals went through a major population bottleneck around 110,000 years ago, well after their lineage had already taken shape. This event led to a sharp drop in genetic diversity and may have played a key role in their eventual extinction 40,000 years ago.

The research, led by Alessandro Urciuoli and Mercedes Conde-Valverde, analyzed the shape of the semicircular canals in fossilized Neanderthal inner ears. These structures are highly influenced by genetics. Fossils from sites like Sima de los Huesos in Spain and Krapina in Croatia showed that later Neanderthals had significantly less variation in these structures than earlier ones.

Interestingly, the findings challenge the idea that Neanderthals were always low in genetic diversity. Early and pre-Neanderthal fossils had normal levels of variation, suggesting the bottleneck happened later in their history.

This study illustrates how shifts in population size can impact a species’ survival, and it’s a reminder of how vulnerable even the most resilient species can be when diversity starts to shrink.

You can read more about the study here on Nature’s website.