Tag Archives: HumanEvolution

Isolated Neanderthal Lineage Discovered: 50,000 Years of Solitude

Genetic Analysis Reveals Lonely Neanderthal Group in Rhône Valley

Scientists extracted DNA from the root of one of Thorin's molars to confirm his male gender and sequence his entire genome. This analysis unveiled that Thorin belonged to a previously unidentified, isolated lineage of Neanderthals. (Image credit: Ludovik Slimak)

A newly analyzed DNA sequence from a Neanderthal specimen, nicknamed “Thorin,” reveals an isolated lineage that persisted for 50,000 years, according to a study published in the journal Cell Genomics. Thorin, discovered in 2015 at the Grotte Mandrin rock shelter in the Rhône River valley of southern France, is believed to have lived as recently […]