This is an excellent discussion from John Hawks on the implications of the #Hsapiens or African influence on #Neanderthal X chromosomes -- 'because a pattern of dispersal of early modern people based on matrilineal kin networks makes a lot of sense' of this data.

This takes us to issues of social structures rather than alt-right horror fantasies of Neanderthal men raping 'our' women.

#Matrilineal groups are open in their recruitment of labour, enabling people with no actual close genetic kin to slot in and join. Skilled Neanderthal hunters could have done very well in matrilineal/matrilocal Homo sapiens camps

'Expansion and dispersal of matrilineal networks is possible when fertility itself is of higher value, when the linguistic and cultural ties around community can be maintained by strong political consensus even as men from differing groups are integrated into the cultural group.'

Hawks could add there 'fertility and labour'. People valued over property for their productive and reproductive power.

https://www.johnhawks.net/p/matrilineal-networks-may-be-the-key

The interesting thing about these #Sulawesi rock art dates at 67,800 BP is the implications for #Hsapiens getting to Sahul pretty early. It puts this earlier than Spanish Neanderthal dates

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czx1pnlzer5o

Modeling #Neanderthal and #Hsapiens interactions in #Iberia, Middle/Upper Palaeolithic transition

#archaeology #genetics

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0339184

Looking for #Neanderthals living alongside #Hsapiens in Romania: Peștera 1

https://jornal.usp.br/uspnews/brazilian-scientists-travel-40000-years-back-to-study-neanderthals-in-romania/

Presumed 80,000 year old #arrowheads found in the probably #Neanderthal site of Obi-Rakhmat, Uzbekistan. These are 25,000 years earlier than Grotte Mandrin Neronian industry examples by #Hsapiens.

In South Africa, Sibudu Cave produces 64-60,000 year-old microliths

https://www.iflscience.com/80000-year-old-arrowheads-suggest-neanderthals-may-have-made-projectile-weapons-80418

#RobertoSaez on the #Skhul 1 child (3-5 yrs old girl), c.140 Ka, considered as a hybrid of #Hsapiens and #Neanderthals.

#fosdils #palaeoanthropology #MiddleEast

https://nutcrackerman.com/2025/07/23/skhul-1-un-craneo-infantil-con-indicios-de-hibridacion/

This looks like it's along the right lines, but I'm not certain I'd agree about these differences between us and #Neanderthals and #Denisovans. That may be more to do with demographics.

Sarah Hrdy, the originator of cooperative childcare/aka babysitting as the basis for mutual mind reading, would put it back to H erectus, and there are strong reasons for that constraint. So in itself that is not an account for #Hsapiens (as against Neanderthals). The idea that huge-brained Denisovans were not doing a lot of the same damn things -- looking after incredibly costly children -- is pretty questionable.

Our own Chris Knight and Jerome Lewis are shortly going to publish a book with a lot of answers to the puzzle of #language: 'The First Word was No'.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/aug/06/the-origin-of-language-by-madeleine-beekman-review-the-suprising-history-of-speech?CMP=bsky_gu&utm_source=Bluesky&utm_medium#Echobox=1754476081

Homo sapiens spread into cold steppes in northern Europe 45,000 years ago 
Homo sapiens or the modern human evolved around 200,000 years ago in East Africa near modern-day Ethiopia. They lived in Africa for a long time............
#europe #Germany #Hsapiens #Homosapiens #Ilsenhöhle #Neanderthals #Ranis
Umesh Prasad

https://www.scientificeuropean.co.uk/commentary/homo-sapiens-spread-into-cold-steppes-in-northern-europe-45000-years-ago/

Homo sapiens spread into cold steppes in northern Europe 45,000 years ago 
Homo sapiens or the modern human evolved around 200,000 years ago in East Africa near modern-day Ethiopia. They lived in Africa for a long time............
#europe #Hsapiens #Homosapiens #Neanderthals
Umesh Prasad

https://www.scientificeuropean.co.uk/commentary/homo-sapiens-spread-into-cold-steppes-in-northern-europe-45000-years-ago/