Interbreeding between archaic and modern humans

Human hybridization during the Paleolithic

Interbreeding between archaic humans (such as Neanderthals and Denisovans) and anatomically modern humans (contemporaneous Homo sapiens) took place during the Middle Paleolithic and early Upper Paleolithic. It has been revealed via genomic sequencing that all modern human populations outside of Africa today carry approximately 1–4% Neanderthal DNA, which is a result of genetic admixture that occurred after modern humans migrated out of Africa. Denisovan admixture is most prominent in Oceania, where modern human populations derive approximately 4–6% of their genome from this archaic group, while those in Eurasia and the Americas have been found to be carrying lower levels.

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