Possible Interbreeding in Late Italian Neanderthals? New Data from the Mezzena Jaw (Monti Lessini, Verona, Italy)

A groundbreaking analysis of the Mezzena jaw from Riparo Mezzena, a Middle Paleolithic rockshelter in Verona, Italy, reveals potential interbreeding between late Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans (AMHs). Mitochondrial DNA sequencing identified this as the only genetically typed Neanderthal in the Italian peninsula, confirming its late Neanderthal status through direct dating. The study employed comparative morphology and geometric morphometrics to compare the Mezzena mandible with mid-Pleistocene fossils, Neanderthals, and AMHs. Notably, the chin region of the Mezzena jaw exhibits a more modern morphology, resembling that of other late Neanderthals such as Spy 1, La Ferrassie, and Saint-Césaire. This anatomical change supports the hypothesis of interbreeding between Neanderthals and AMHs in Europe during this period, suggesting a non-abrupt phylogenetic transition.

Condemi, S., Mounier, A., Giunti, P., Lari, M., Caramelli, D., & Longo, L. (2013). Possible Interbreeding in Late Italian Neanderthals? New Data from the Mezzena Jaw (Monti Lessini, Verona, Italy). PLoS ONE, 8(3), e59781. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0059781