This year in Neanderthals

Researchers used to think that Neanderthals and Homo sapien sapiens were pretty much separated from each other. But more and more research points to a significant amount of inter relationships, and that Neanderthals were much more than "knuckle-dragging brutes that were too dimwitted for moral or religious concepts, probably lacking language and behaviorally less advanced than modern humans." A New York Times summary published in January of 2026, continues to provide evidence that humans have a lot in common with Neanderthals. Read the article here: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/03/science/archaeology-neanderthals-genetics.html?smid=em-share.