Professor Chris Stringer

So it looks like Homo sapiens managed to come up the Rhone Valley, probably, we assume, traveled from further east along the Mediterranean coast up the Rhone Valley into this area where there are several sites showing this Neronian industry, but only there for less than 100 years and then disappearing again. And Neanderthals come back.

So it looks like Homo sapiens managed to come up the Rhone Valley, probably, we assume, traveled from further east along the Mediterranean coast up the Rhone Valley into this area where there are several sites showing this Neronian industry, but only there for less than 100 years and then disappearing again. And Neanderthals come back.

So it looks like Homo sapiens managed to come up the Rhone Valley, probably, we assume, traveled from further east along the Mediterranean coast up the Rhone Valley into this area where there are several sites showing this Neronian industry, but only there for less than 100 years and then disappearing again. And Neanderthals come back.

Yes, that's right. There's just one tooth. There are several teeth in the other levels and one milk tooth, which you can show structurally. Unfortunately, you haven't got the DNA from it, but structurally it's a Homo sapiens child. But interestingly, when we come into the later Neanderthal levels, we've also got this wonderful skeleton of Thorin. Nicknamed Thorin from Lord of the Rings.

Yes, that's right. There's just one tooth. There are several teeth in the other levels and one milk tooth, which you can show structurally. Unfortunately, you haven't got the DNA from it, but structurally it's a Homo sapiens child. But interestingly, when we come into the later Neanderthal levels, we've also got this wonderful skeleton of Thorin. Nicknamed Thorin from Lord of the Rings.

Yes, that's right. There's just one tooth. There are several teeth in the other levels and one milk tooth, which you can show structurally. Unfortunately, you haven't got the DNA from it, but structurally it's a Homo sapiens child. But interestingly, when we come into the later Neanderthal levels, we've also got this wonderful skeleton of Thorin. Nicknamed Thorin from Lord of the Rings.

And this is a male Neanderthal skeleton. It's still being excavated. And this is in the levels after 54,000 years ago. And Thorin has even got DNA. And that DNA is distinct, not only from sapiens, but also from many of the other Neanderthals. So... I talked about the low diversity of Neanderthals overall, but Thorin actually has a distinct lineage from most of the other late Neanderthals.

And this is a male Neanderthal skeleton. It's still being excavated. And this is in the levels after 54,000 years ago. And Thorin has even got DNA. And that DNA is distinct, not only from sapiens, but also from many of the other Neanderthals. So... I talked about the low diversity of Neanderthals overall, but Thorin actually has a distinct lineage from most of the other late Neanderthals.

And this is a male Neanderthal skeleton. It's still being excavated. And this is in the levels after 54,000 years ago. And Thorin has even got DNA. And that DNA is distinct, not only from sapiens, but also from many of the other Neanderthals. So... I talked about the low diversity of Neanderthals overall, but Thorin actually has a distinct lineage from most of the other late Neanderthals.

And that suggests that there were pockets of diversity surviving in Europe until less than 50,000 years ago. And Thorin represents one of those pockets. And interestingly, his closest relatives In Gibraltar, there's a Neanderthal from Forbes Quarry. It was found in 1848. It's one of the very first Neanderthal finds, even before the one from the Neander Valley in Germany.

And that suggests that there were pockets of diversity surviving in Europe until less than 50,000 years ago. And Thorin represents one of those pockets. And interestingly, his closest relatives In Gibraltar, there's a Neanderthal from Forbes Quarry. It was found in 1848. It's one of the very first Neanderthal finds, even before the one from the Neander Valley in Germany.

And that suggests that there were pockets of diversity surviving in Europe until less than 50,000 years ago. And Thorin represents one of those pockets. And interestingly, his closest relatives In Gibraltar, there's a Neanderthal from Forbes Quarry. It was found in 1848. It's one of the very first Neanderthal finds, even before the one from the Neander Valley in Germany.

And that Forbes Quarry Neanderthal, we've got DNA from that, and the DNA is similar to Thorin's. So there is a similarity between Gibraltar and the Rhone Valley in this late time, suggesting that there were surviving pockets of Neanderthal diversity. But Thorin's lineage too disappeared. So by 42,000 years ago, we've got Homo sapiens occupying Rotmanderans.

And that Forbes Quarry Neanderthal, we've got DNA from that, and the DNA is similar to Thorin's. So there is a similarity between Gibraltar and the Rhone Valley in this late time, suggesting that there were surviving pockets of Neanderthal diversity. But Thorin's lineage too disappeared. So by 42,000 years ago, we've got Homo sapiens occupying Rotmanderans.

And that Forbes Quarry Neanderthal, we've got DNA from that, and the DNA is similar to Thorin's. So there is a similarity between Gibraltar and the Rhone Valley in this late time, suggesting that there were surviving pockets of Neanderthal diversity. But Thorin's lineage too disappeared. So by 42,000 years ago, we've got Homo sapiens occupying Rotmanderans.

So the Neanderthals have disappeared from there.

So the Neanderthals have disappeared from there.

So the Neanderthals have disappeared from there.

Yes. I mean, it must have been an incredible time and it's a shame we haven't got a time machine to go back and see exactly what happened. But yes, you're right. I'm sure there were many different encounters, different kinds of encounters between these populations. So When they first met, and of course, we've mentioned that they could have met even more than 200,000 years ago.

Yes. I mean, it must have been an incredible time and it's a shame we haven't got a time machine to go back and see exactly what happened. But yes, you're right. I'm sure there were many different encounters, different kinds of encounters between these populations. So When they first met, and of course, we've mentioned that they could have met even more than 200,000 years ago.