New research suggests that Neanderthals and modern humans coexisted for a much longer time than previously thought.

New research suggests that Neanderthals and modern humans coexisted for a much longer time than previously thought.

It’s been known for some time that the two shared space on the planet and even interbred, but for how long they were cohabitants has been cloudy.

The largest carbon dating endeavor ever undertaken showed that the time span could have been as great as around 5 thousand years.

Study results also call into question the theory that Neanderthal extinction was rapid and came as the result of competition with humans.

Instead, the findings paint a scenario in which Neanderthals were weakened over time and finally succumbed to a natural event, like the significant cooling of the environment.

For their research the international team of scientists gathered hundreds of samples from throughout Europe.

The tools and bones were then dated at Oxford University’s using state-of-the-art equipment.

While the findings show that the two species existed together for a longer amount of time, it doesn’t imply that the cohabitation of the areas was a friendly one.

One of the team’s researchers points out that the two groups would likely have been vying for the same resources, including food and shelter.