The researchers cite evidence that modern humans (H. sapiens) became established in the same region as the last Neanderthals approximately 39,000–42,000 years ago.

Question

What does this suggest about the possible overlap of Neanderthals and modern humans in the region?

Neanderthals and modern humans may have lived in the same region for up to approximately 2,000 years, or they may not have overlapped at all.
Modern humans killed off the last of the Neanderthals when they moved into the same region, which led to the extinction of the Neanderthals.
Neanderthals and modern humans could not have lived in the same region at the same time, so they would not have come in contact.

Answer 1

The statement that modern humans (H. sapiens) became established in the same region as the last Neanderthals approximately 39,000–42,000 years ago suggests that there is a possibility of overlap between the two species. This means that Neanderthals and modern humans may have lived in the same region for up to approximately 2,000 years. However, the evidence does not conclusively indicate whether they interacted directly, competed, or coexisted without substantial contact.

The notion that modern humans killed off the last of the Neanderthals is a hypothesis rather than a definitive conclusion, as the reasons for Neanderthal extinction are still debated, including factors such as climate change, competition for resources, and interbreeding.

The claim that Neanderthals and modern humans could not have lived in the same region at the same time contradicts the evidence of their overlapping timeframes in that area. Therefore, the most plausible interpretation is that there may have been some period of coexistence, although the nature of their interactions remains uncertain.