- The analysis showed that Thorin had “high genetic homozygosity,” which indicates inbreeding in the lineage’s recent past.
- It also offers no evidence of interbreeding with modern humans of the time.
DNA of 'Thorin,' one of the last Neanderthals, finally sequenced, revealing inbreeding and 50,000 years of genetic isolation
"Our results suggest small group sizes and long-term genetic isolation of the Thorin population from other late Neanderthal populations with genetic data available," the researchers wrote in their study.
The isolation of this Neanderthal group raises questions about when and why the species disappeared.
Using a variety of techniques, including radiocarbon dating and assessment of the geological layers in the cave, the research team found that Thorin died between 52,000 and 42,000 years ago. However, according to the study, evidence newly uncovered in 2023 suggests Thorin is much more likely to be 42,000 years old and therefore is among the very last Neanderthals.
“Everything must be rewritten about the greatest extinction in humanity and our understanding of this incredible process that will lead Homo sapiens to remain the only survival of humanity,” Slimak said in assessing what this discovery means. “How can we imagine populations that lived for 50 millennia in isolation while they are only two weeks’ walk from each other? All processes need to be rethought.”
Michale Natale is a News Editor for the Hearst Enthusiast Group. As a writer and researcher, he has produced written and audio-visual content for more than fifteen years, spanning historical periods from the dawn of early man to the Golden Age of Hollywood. His stories for the Enthusiast Group have involved coordinating with organizations like the National Parks Service and the Secret Service, and travelling to notable historical sites and archaeological digs, from excavations of America’ earliest colonies to the former homes of Edgar Allan Poe.
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