New genetic research reveals that Neanderthal and Homo sapiens interbreeding was strongly sex biased, with Neanderthal males and modern human females driving a pattern that reshaped the human X chromosome. The study challenges older theories of biological incompatibility and points instead to mate preference, social behaviour, and repeated contact over 200,000 years. It also highlights how Neanderthal DNA still influences modern human immunity, skin, metabolism, and other traits.
Compass Post ·
Feb 27, 2026
Read →