Going by the headlines, the matter seems to be settled. El País announces that Neanderthal men “chose” Sapiens women. Science journal speaks of a “partner preference.” National Geographic is already imagining the “Romeos” of prehistory. The Telegraph suggests that Neanderthals “had designs on” Sapiens women.
Within a few hours, a statistical analysis had been whipped up into a tale of desire. The “sex lives” of our ancestors were suddenly within clicking distance. This shift is not trivial. It turns an asymmetry in genetic transmission into a narrative based on feelings, attraction, and prehistoric romance.
A scene is staged in which the Neanderthal “Romeo” wins the heart of a Sapiens “Juliet.” The story of our origins becomes a tabloid romance.
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