Modern expansion reshaped Neanderthals

A hypothesis that a modern‑human geographic expansion around ~300,000 years ago played a causal role in the emergence and shape of Neanderthal populations, with hybridization (interbreeding) producing the mosaic of traits seen in ancient genomes. It reframes Neanderthals not as an isolated branch but as a product of contact, movement, and gene flow with incoming modern humans. — If true, this reframes public conversations about human distinctiveness, ancestry, and the genetics of modern populations by emphasizing shared, networked origins rather than strict separations.