Final answer:
Neanderthals were not the first hominid group discovered by modern humans; they were a 'cousin' species that lived alongside but did not directly precede Homo sapiens. Various hominid species preceded Neanderthals, with evidence of bipedalism dating back to Australopithecus. Early modern humans did interbreed with Neanderthals after leaving Africa.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question of whether Neanderthals were the first hominid group to be discovered by modern humans can be answered with a definitive No. Homo neanderthalensis, or Neanderthals, were indeed an early hominid species that lived between 30,000 and 200,000 years ago in Europe and western Asia. They evolved from Homo erectus and are considered to be 'cousins' of modern humans rather than direct ancestors.
Various hominid species, including Australopithecus and Homo erectus, existed long before Neanderthals. In fact, the very first evidence of bipedal hominins comes from the time of Australopithecus. It is a common misconception that Neanderthals were the first or only ancient human relatives. Modern humans, or Homo sapiens sapiens, as well as other hominid species like the Denisovans, shared the planet with Neanderthals at different times.
There is evidence that early modern humans did indeed interbreed with Neanderthals. After early humans emerged from Africa and spread out to populate different parts of the globe, an isolated population of these early humans interbred with Neanderthals, which has resulted in some Neanderthal DNA entering the human gene pool, as confirmed by genetic studies.