Recent research has revealed the routes of the second major migration of Neanderthals from Eastern Europe to Central and Eastern Eurasia, which took place roughly between 120,000 and 60,000 years ago. However, these migration paths have long remained unclear due to the limited archaeological findings connecting the two regions.
A team of anthropologists from New York University and the University of Algarve in Portugal modeled the Neanderthals’ migration routes using computer simulations. The study concluded that Neanderthals likely followed river valleys as natural pathways and traveled approximately 3,250 kilometers within 2,000 years during warmer periods.
Emily Coco, one of the lead authors of the research, states, “Despite obstacles, we discovered that Neanderthals crossed Northern Eurasia much faster than previously thought.” The study was published in the journal PLOS One and conducted with contributions from Radu Iovita of New York University’s Center for Human Origins.
The researchers took into account terrain features, ancient rivers, glaciers, and periodic temperature conditions when simulating the migration routes. This method, commonly used to model movements of modern humans and animals, was applied to Neanderthals for the first time.
The simulations showed that Neanderthals had suitable migration conditions especially during warmer periods known as Marine Isotope Stage 5e (MIS 5e) and Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3). These routes extended from the Ural Mountains to Southern Siberia and overlapped with known archaeological sites.
The research also highlights regions where Neanderthals likely encountered and interbred with Denisovans. Iovita emphasizes the speed of the migration by saying, “Neanderthals may have traveled thousands of kilometers from the Caucasus to Siberia in just 2,000 years by following river corridors.”
Supported by genetic data, this study clearly demonstrates that the rapid and long-distance Neanderthal migrations, once debated, were a direct result of climate and geographic conditions.
Cover Image: Computer simulated paths of Neanderthal dispersals demonstrate they could have reached the Altai Mountains in Siberia within 2,000 years during warm climatic conditions in one of two ancient time periods—MIS 5e (approximately 125,000 years ago) or MIS 3 (approximately 60,000 years ago)—as demonstrated by the three different possible paths shown here. These paths follow a northern route through the Ural Mountains and southern Siberia, often intersecting with known archaeological sites from the same time periods. Credit: Emily Coco and Radu Iovita
Emily Coco et al, Agent-based simulations reveal the possibility of multiple rapid northern routes for the second Neanderthal dispersal from Western to Eastern Eurasia, PLOS One (2025). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0325693
