Final answer:
Early humans emerged from Africa, interbred with Neanderthals, and then populated the globe, with modern humans sharing up to 4% Neanderthal DNA, indicating significant inter-species interaction.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question refers to a historical scientific bias where certain nationality scientists did not view Neanderthals as ancestors of modern humans, likely preferring the idea that human evolution occurred within their own region. However, current evidence suggests that early humans emerged from Africa, interbred with Neanderthals, and then spread to populate the globe. The genetic contribution of Neanderthals to modern humans, which is evident in DNA of modern European-derived peoples, underscores the interaction between different human species as Homo sapiens migrated out of Africa. This genetic exchange likely occurred before the divergence of distinct human populations in Europe, East Asia, and Papua New Guinea.
Neanderthals, members of the genus Homo, evolved from Homo erectus and lived in Europe and western Asia between 200,000 and 30,000 years ago. It is now recognized that modern humans share between 1 and 4 percent Neanderthal DNA, suggesting that mating between the species was not uncommon. The discovery that a child born in Siberia had a Denisovan father and a Neanderthal mother further highlights the interactions between different human species.