Zagros Mountains: Where Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens met!

Zagros Mountains: Where Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens met!

Zagros-Berge, Iran - scientists have made a significant find that has far -reaching implications for our understanding of human history. A current study identifies the Zagros-Birge in Iran as a central point for mixing between Homo sapiens and neanderthals. Research attributes the complex encounters of the two species to changes in the climate conditions during the Pleistocene.

The Zagros Mountains extends over Iran, Northern Iraq and southeast Türkiye and, with its rich biodiversity, offers the ideal landscape for contacting the early human species. These results were recently published in the journal Scientific Reports

impressive archaeological finds

The region is considered an important migration corridor due to its geographical conditions. After climatic changes took place in the Pleistocene, the Zagros Mountains became a natural meeting point for modern people who migrated from Africa, and Neanderthals who settled in colder climate zones. A study, guided by Saman Guran from the University of Cologne, uses advanced ecological niche modeling to reconstruct the possible habitats of both types and overlapping areas in which encounters were likely, especially during the marine isotopes stage 5 (MIS 5) between 120,000 and 80,000 years before today.

Fossil finds, such as the remains of ten Neanderthals in the Shanidar Cave, confirm the existence of these early people in the region. However, these discoveries are only part of a larger puzzle that includes the interbreeding events between 250,000 and 200,000 years, 120,000 to 100,000 years and about 50,000 years ago.

genetic traces of the past

The results of the genetic analyzes show that between one and four percent of the genome of all non-African people contains Neanderthal inheritance. These genetic fragments have an impact on physical characteristics and vulnerability for certain diseases. It is believed that the ecological niche of the Zagros mountains have reinforced these influences by enabling Neanderthals and modern people to mix and learn from each other. In addition, the study points out that this region played a key role in the spread of Homo sapiens in Eurasia.

The Results of these studies underline the need for further archaeological studies in the Zagros Mountains. Planned excavations are intended to reveal additional information about human evolution and distribution behavior in the past. The importance of the Zagros region is therefore not only strengthened by genetic findings, but also by its archaeological values, which indicate that our genetic heritage is deeply connected to this impressive region.

Overall, these research results show how complex and nuanced the history of mankind. They also raise new questions about the way these early people survived and interacted, which is of crucial importance for understanding our own evolutionary history.