Neanderthal-Human Mating Was Mostly Male-Female, DNA Shows
The Spin
Narrative A
Ancient DNA shows a striking sex-biased pattern: male Neanderthals consistently mated with female Homo sapiens, leaving measurable signatures on the X chromosome. This discovery challenges the traditional clinical view that gene flow was purely biological, revealing that social behaviors, mate preferences and cultural strategies influenced which genes persisted, leaving a lasting imprint of human choices on our DNA.
Narrative B
Genomes may reveal a clear sex bias, but they cannot explain why male Neanderthals paired with female Homo sapiens. Genetics alone can’t determine whether this reflects mutual attraction, social strategy or coercion. Archaeological evidence is sparse, and evolutionary theory suggests female choice was at least as plausible. What remains most compelling is the human question behind the genome — who chose whom, and what shaped these encounters?
Metaculus Prediction
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