After all, Neanderthals and Denisovans are the same species as us, says new study

“O [humano] Modern and Archaic must be considered populations of a common human species, which independently accumulated mutations and cultural innovations”, explain the researchers.

Modern humans and their archaic relatives such as Neanderthals and Denisovans may actually be the same species, according to a December study in bioRxiv awaiting peer review.

The researchers argue that these groups should be considered populations of a single common human species that evolved independently, accumulating unique mutations and cultural traits over time.

The investigation, led by biologist Luca Paganifrom the University of Padua, focused on the genetic changes that define humanity, namely changes in chromosomes.

Analyzing data from Neanderthal and Denisovan fossils, along with samples from modern humans, the team explored two fundamental genetic events: the fusion of chromosome 2 and a translocation in the PAR2 region of the X and Y chromosomes.

These changes, crucial for reproductive success and genetic stability, are among the characteristics that distinguish humans from other primates.

Apparently, PAR2 translocation occurred earlier than previously thought — before the evolutionary split between Neanderthals, Denisovans, and modern humans, approximately 650,000 years ago — which suggests that the genetic basis of modern humanity dates back closer to a population bottleneck, around 900,000 years ago, than during later evolutionary milestones.

The study also highlighted 56 genetic variations that distinguish modern humans from their archaic relatives, many of them linked to brain and skull development. However, most of these characteristics were not reintroduced into Neanderthals during the interbreeding periods around 350,000 years ago, possibly due to social or population pressures.

These findings imply that the characteristics that define modern humans—both genetic and cultural—arose much earlier than previously recognized.

“Our results point to a scenario in which the [humano] Modern and Archaic should be considered populations of a common human species, which independently accumulated mutations and cultural innovations”, write the researchers.

“If we are looking for a moment that defines the human lineage, we can say that the events that made us all human are represented by the fusion of chromosome 2 and the PAR2 translocation”, reinforces the team, cited by .

Researchers suggest that distinctions between modern and archaic humans may be less significant than previously thought, raising questions about how we classify different human populations.

If confirmed, the research could reshape our understanding of human evolution and challenge the long-held notion of separate species within the Homo genus.