Palaeontology

Neanderthal lineage discovery might help explain why they went extinct

By T.K. Randall
April 5, 2026

Image: Skull of Neanderthal from Sacopastore
Credit: Zde / CC BY-SA 4.0 (adapted) One of the closest relatives of modern humans, the Neanderthals were thought to have disappeared somewhere around 40,000 years ago, though the precise reason for this remains elusive.

Now, in a new study, researchers who obtained mitochondrial DNA sequences from multiple Neanderthal excavation sites across Europe have discovered that, around 65,000 years ago, something happened that reduced the number of Neanderthal lineages down to just one.

The study authors believe that a period of intense glaciation may have been to blame.

"We think Neanderthal groups in northern Europe perished, while a Neanderthal group that was already in southwestern France survived this climate change and then went on to expand across a broader region," senior study author and paleogeneticist Cosimo Posth told Live Science."Neanderthals had experienced multiple glaciations before, but the last one proved harsh on their survival."

Even though the species survived, all was not well with the remaining population.

"Since they appeared to emerge from this single group, their genetic diversity overall was reduced drastically compared to what came before," said Posth.

While this lack of genetic diversity was not thought to have been solely responsible for their extinction, the researchers believe that it would have likely been a contributing factor.

"We don't think there was a single reason the Neanderthals went extinct, but this lack of genetic diversity would have made them more predisposed to not really survive climatic changes and other disruptions," said Posth.

Source: Live Science

Tags: Neanderthals