Part 6/8:
Another dimension of understanding this phenomenon is the genetic interplay between modern humans and Neanderthals. Recent research suggests that the proportion of Neanderthal ancestry in non-African populations could be significantly higher than the previously believed 2%. Estimates suggest that it could be closer to 10-20%. This indicates that when species intermingled, Neanderthals possessed a vast gene pool built over centuries that had become bogged down by mutations due to their long-term existence in small populations.