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The Neanderthal lineage has been the source of much debate within the anthropological community, but the consensus now is that the most likely common ancestor of Neanderthals and modern humans (at least with the current fossil record) is Homo heidelbergensis.
Where did Neanderthals ancestors come from?
Most scientists think that Neanderthals probably evolved in Europe from African ancestors. The consensus now is that modern humans and Neanderthals shared a common ancestor in Africa about 700,000 years ago. The ancestors of Neanderthals left Africa first, expanding to the Near East and then to Europe and Central Asia.Dec 11, 2017
History oppose This: Scientific evidence suggests our two species shared a common ancestor. Current evidence from both fossils and DNA suggests that Neanderthal and modern human lineages separated at least 500,000 years ago. Some genetic calibrations place their divergence at about 650,000 years ago.
History Oppose This: Both fossil and genetic evidence indicate that Neanderthals and modern humans (Homo sapiens) evolved from a common ancestor between 700,000 and 300,000 years ago.Jul 1, 2022
