A fascinating new study has potentially discovered a huge interbreeding zone for Neanderthals and Homo sapiens from the late Pleistocene (c.129,000 and c.11,700 years ago) who lived in parts of Southeast Europe and Southwest Asia. Narrowing down the list of potential places for this, the researchers zeroed in on the Zagros Mountains on the Persian Plateau, which stretches from Iran to northern parts of Iraq and into southeastern Turkey in modern geographical terms. Ecological Niche Modelling: Where the Science is At While scientists have long known of this interbreeding, the precise locations for these encounters had remained elusive. This is because fossil evidence is sparse, and the availability of ancient DNA is limited. In response, a team of researchers led by Saman Guran from the University of Cologne in Germany turned to an innovative approach: ecological niche modelling, and have published their finds in the latest edition of the journal Scientific Reports. Read moreSection: NewsEvolution & Human OriginsRead Later