Evidence that Neanderthal and Homo sapiens engaged in cultural exchange
24 comments
·March 12, 2025andsoitis
I mean, we already knew that we exchanged genes so is it not therefore self-evident that we also exchanged memes?
readthenotes1
Plunder/Raping raids don't necessarilyead to trading and meaningful conversations do they?
BurningFrog
You have be able to communicate with your slaves.
OgsyedIE
Wouldn't captives carry memes?
do_not_redeem
Only if you and your captives are able to communicate. If you have a fish tank, do your fish give you memes?
krapp
Ask the Vikings.
dyauspitr
Sure they would. You would have to communicate intention. There would be assimilation where they would take their women and spend time with them etc.
ForTheKidz
As a response to the headline? Sure. The article is trivially interesting, though.
metalman
so we are all part, Ugg, or is it part Ugg-et, or is it both?, ie: y and x chromasones have nieanderthal bits?, if its both, then that is a strong indication that things were pretty casual, ,hanging out partying, looks like Ugg and Sue are hitting it off, some tasty mastadon on the fire, heard you and the other nieandethals got a saber tooth cat last week
mkl
There is no Neanderthal Y chromosome (male line) DNA in modern humans, and also no Neanderthal mitochondrial (female line) DNA in modern humans, but about half of Neanderthal DNA is still around scattered between different modern humans. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-human-y-chromo..., https://theconversation.com/modern-human-dna-contains-bits-f...
Neanderthals and mastodons never met, as they were on different continents.
IncreasePosts
Why call Neanderthal ugg? Homo sapiens were probably Ugg too.
boredpeter
[dead]
fireburning
[flagged]
ldjkfkdsjnv
Its a myth that we arent neanderthal, also any percentage number is completely misleading, because which neanderthal genes were passed on matters more than the percentage. Clearly, certain populations have much different mixtures, which explains large portions of variances in human behavior. biologists know this, you wont catch them saying it in public though
kacesensitive
To claim that "we are Neanderthals" is wrong because while modern humans and Neanderthals share a common ancestor and interbred, Neanderthals were a distinct species that went extinct. Genetic contributions from Neanderthals to modern humans are minor, typically around 1-2% in non-African populations, and do not make us Neanderthal in any meaningful sense. Moreover, the idea that specific Neanderthal genes explain large behavioral differences among human populations is not supported by scientific consensus—human behavior is shaped by a complex mix of genetics, culture, and environment. While some Neanderthal-derived genes may have influenced traits like immune response or altitude adaptation, the assertion that they drive major behavioral differences is speculative and echoes outdated, often racially charged ideas about genetic determinism. Biologists do discuss these topics openly, but they do so within the rigorous framework of evolutionary genetics, not unfounded assumptions about "large portions of variances" in human behavior.
Mistletoe
I'm a biologist, I wouldn't be caught saying it in private or public because it's incorrect.
Lots of good discussion here about should Neanderthal and Homo sapiens be a separate species. Like most nature questions the answer seems to always be "It's complicated."
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskAnthropology/comments/mq5u7n/why...
A neat map here showing how much Neanderthal DNA exists in modern humans. Never goes much above 3%.
https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/hgdioe/prevalence_...
op00to
Genetic differences do exist among different human populations. Even so, attributing broad behavioral traits to Neanderthal ancestry is not supported by science.
Human behavior is shaped by many factors like genetics, culture, environment, and social structures. No credible geneticist argues that Neanderthal ancestry “explains large portions of variances in human behavior.”
As for your comment that “Biologists know this, you won’t catch them saying it in public though.”, this is a classic conspiracy-style statement. You’re suggesting that experts are hiding the “truth,” which is a tactic often used in pseudoscience and race-related theories.
dmitrygr
The interpretation of "you won’t catch them saying it in public though" that you offer is NOT the only one. The one the OP most likely meant is: "out of fear for their careers and livelihoods, they will not state such things given that such facts are outside of the current overton window"
op00to
Controversial scientific topics are actively discussed in academic journals and conferences. Scientists regularly publish challenging or provocative findings, even those outside mainstream acceptance… Provided they’re backed by credible evidence. The absence of discussion here isn’t due to fear of consequences. It’s because the scientific community hasn’t found convincing evidence linking Neanderthal DNA to major behavioral differences.
Paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-025-02110-y