Early modern humans probably interbred with Neanderthals relatively soon after migrating out of Africa, research suggests. The finding may explain why present-day Europeans have more Neanderthal DNA in their genetic make-up than Africans.

Neanderthals were already in Europe when the first members of our species, Homo sapiens, ventured out of Africa. It is theorised that the two co-existed for many thousands of years before Neanderthals became extinct around 30,000 years ago.

Scientists now believe that there is some Neanderthal DNA in all of us, but more in Europeans than in Africans.

How it got there has been a mystery. The simplest explanation is that the two human sub-species interbred.

Another is that Neanderthals and Homo sapiens had divided African ancestors. According to this theory, it was those modern humans more related to Neanderthals – and sharing more of their genes – that eventually left Africa.

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