Zagros Mountains as meeting point

A new study has identified the Zagros Mountains, located at the border of Iran, Iraq, and Turkey, as the site where Sapiens and Neanderthals met, coexisted, and interbred. This region, rich in prehistoric sites containing remains of both species, served as a natural bioclimatic corridor between temperate zones in the north and warmer regions in the south during the end of the Pleistocene (between 60,000 and 40,000 years ago).

Migration paths of Sapiens and Neanderthals

At that time, Neanderthals, already established in Europe and Western Asia, migrated toward the southeast, while Sapiens, originating from Africa, moved northward. The two species' paths crossed in the Zagros Mountains, leading to hybridization.

Genetic legacy of Neanderthal interbreeding

Genetic analyses show that non-African humans today carry between 1 and 4% of Neanderthal genes, which influence characteristics such as the shape of the nose, sensitivity to pain, immune response, reaction to stress, and even vulnerability to COVID-19 or depression. This hybridization may have occurred in several waves across different regions, but the Zagros Mountains appear to be a central hub, a convergence point, and a genetic crossroads.

Redefining the relationship between Sapiens and Neanderthals

The study challenges the idea that Sapiens and Neanderthals evolved in separate lines, with Sapiens as the winner and Neanderthals as the loser. Instead, it presents a more complex picture of human species meeting, exchanging, adapting, and leaving traces. The Zagros Mountains are not just a geological backdrop but a foundational stage in the shared history of humans. This hybridization may have contributed to the success of the Sapiens species by enriching their genome, strengthening their resilience, and shaping what is now considered human.