The Neanderthal genome and the Vindija remains

Record summary

Vindija Cave Neanderthal remains became central to late twentieth- and early twenty-first-century research, including mitochondrial DNA work and improved dating and genomic methods. Findings contributed to debates over Neanderthal population history, admixture, contamination and the timing of modern human expansion in Europe. This is a strong comparative lead because apparent mysteries about Neanderthal disappearance were reframed as questions about demography, ecology and interbreeding. The evidence changed substantially as sequencing technology improved, so early conclusions should not be treated as final.