Some of the last surviving Neanderthals were remarkably diverse ‪—‬ suggesting inbreeding didn't doom them

A close up of a series of skulls and bones against a dark background.

Some of the last surviving Neanderthals displayed greater genetic diversity than scientists previously thought, a new study of ancient DNA reveals, challenging the idea that genetic decline was the main cause of their extinction.

Neanderthals were among the closest relatives of modern humans, with their lineages diverging around 500,000 years ago. Although Neanderthals once ranged across Eurasia, they are usually thought to have gone extinct about 40,000 years ago.