Neandertals Took Multiple Paths Before Their Extinction, Study Finds

Neandertals, once thought to be a single, uniform population, may have had a much more complex evolutionary journey than previously believed. A new study suggests that instead of following one straight line to extinction around 40,000 years ago, they took at least two distinct paths. A partial skeleton of an adult male Neandertal, discovered in a cave in France, has provided some of the clearest evidence yet of a long-isolated Neandertal population that lived apart from others for about 50,000 years.

Nicknamed Thorin after a character from The Hobbit, this Neandertal’s remains were found at the entrance of the Grotte Mandrin rock shelter in 2015. Since then, scientists have been piecing together his story, and their findings are shedding light on a previously unknown branch of the Neandertal family tree. Thorin’s population appears to have split off from other Neandertals in Europe around 105,000 years ago and survived in isolation for thousands of years—right up until the time Neandertals disappeared.

The research team, led by archaeologist Ludovic Slimak from Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier in France and geneticist Martin Sikora from the University of Copenhagen, published their findings in Cell Genomics.

Thorin’s Genetic Story

Using DNA from one of Thorin’s molars, researchers were able to recover about 65 percent of his genome. When they compared it with the DNA of other Neandertals and ancient humans, they found something surprising: Thorin’s genetic makeup didn’t match that of Neandertals living at the same time in Europe. Instead, it was more similar to Neandertals who lived around 105,000 years ago, long before Thorin’s time.

This suggests that Thorin’s ancestors became isolated from other Neandertal groups and followed a separate evolutionary path. Thorin lived during the ice age, around 50,000 years ago, a time when Homo sapiens—modern humans—were also starting to spread into Europe. But unlike other Neandertals, there’s no sign that Thorin’s population interbred with modern humans or even with other Neandertal groups in the area.

A Small, Isolated Population

One of the striking features of Thorin’s DNA is the high number of identical gene pairs, a sign that his population was small and that close relatives were mating with one another. This level of inbreeding has been found in other isolated Neandertal populations, such as those in Siberia, but it’s rare to see it so late in Neandertal history.

The researchers believe that Thorin’s group likely consisted of small, tight-knit communities that stayed separate from other Neandertals. Why they didn’t mix with nearby groups remains a mystery, but it could be due to cultural or even language differences that kept them apart.

What This Means for Neandertal Evolution

Thorin’s discovery challenges the traditional view of Neandertals as a single, homogenous population. Instead, it paints a picture of a species with multiple, diverging evolutionary paths. Just like modern humans, Neandertals had a complex history of migration, isolation, and survival in different environments.

According to Carles Lalueza-Fox, a paleogeneticist who wasn’t involved in the study, this shows that Neandertals likely went through their own waves of local extinctions and migrations, much like our own ancestors did.

Thorin’s DNA also closely matches that of a Neandertal individual found in Gibraltar, suggesting that his lineage may have extended across parts of southwestern Europe. This raises new questions about how these isolated populations survived for so long without mixing with other Neandertals or early humans.

Looking Ahead

There’s still much to learn from Thorin’s remains. Further excavations at the Grotte Mandrin site could provide more clues about when exactly he lived and how his body ended up in the rock shelter. If more of his DNA can be recovered, or if researchers find other fossils from his lineage, we could get a clearer picture of how this isolated group of Neandertals lived and evolved.

For now, Thorin’s discovery is a reminder that the history of Neandertals is far from simple. Their journey was marked by survival in challenging environments, small populations, and complex interactions—or lack thereof—with other groups. Thorin’s isolated lineage is just one piece of the puzzle, but it offers a fascinating glimpse into the diversity and resilience of Neandertals before their final extinction.