Final answer:
The latest DNA analyses indicate that Neandertals were absorbed into modern human populations through interbreeding. Modern Europeans and Middle Easterners have between 1 and 4 percent Neanderthal DNA, and research has identified genetic contributions from both Neanderthals and Denisovans in contemporary genomes, suggesting a more complex human evolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The latest findings in DNA analysis of Neandertals have significantly contributed to our understanding of human evolution. Scientists successfully extracted DNA from Neandertal bones and discovered that Neandertals and modern humans interbred. This genetic material indicates that Neandertals didn't completely go extinct but were absorbed into the Homo sapiens population. One groundbreaking study revealed that a girl had a Neanderthal mother and a Denisovan father, suggesting complex interbreeding among different human species.
Additional research has illuminated the genetic relationships between Neandertals, Denisovans, and modern humans. For example, modern European and Middle Eastern populations contain between 1 and 4 percent Neanderthal DNA. Research also uncovered the presence of Denisovan DNA in various modern human populations. The Neanderthal genome suggests that there was genetic exchange between Neandertals and modern humans as the latter migrated out of Africa.
Furthermore, the existence of 'ghost populations' has been hypothesized, like an unknown archaic hominin group contributing DNA to present populations, indicating that extinct human species possibly had a more significant impact on our ancestry than previously understood. It is now recognized that evolutionary connections among different human species are more complex than earlier theories have suggested, reflecting a rich and intertwined prehistoric human heritage.