The prevailing narrative of how humanity came about seemed straightforward enough: in Europe, the last Neanderthals bowed out as Homo sapiens began arriving on the continent around 40,000 to 45,000 years ago. Neanderthals were thought to be part of a single, genetically homogeneous population, spread across Spain, France, Croatia, Belgium, and Germany. Genetic studies supported this view, suggesting a uniform population that would eventually give way to the newcomers, Homo sapiens. In just a few millennia — between 45,000 and 42,000 years ago — the brief cohabitation of these two species in Europe ended with the replacement of Neanderthals. The explanation was elegant and simple – perhaps a little too simple.
