▁consistent ▁with ▁ancient ▁DNA ▁analysis ▁than ▁multiple ▁sources ▁with ▁gen etic ▁mixing ▁across ▁E uras ia . ▁ ▁Europe ▁ ▁The ▁recent ▁expansion ▁of ▁an atom ically ▁modern ▁humans ▁reached ▁Europe ▁around ▁ 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago ▁from ▁Central ▁Asia ▁and ▁the ▁Middle ▁East , ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁cultural ▁ad a ption ▁to ▁big ▁game ▁hunting ▁of ▁sub - g la cial ▁ste ppe ▁fa una . ▁Ne ander th als ▁were ▁present ▁both ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁East ▁and ▁in ▁Europe , ▁and ▁the ▁arriv ing ▁populations ▁of ▁an atom ically ▁modern ▁humans ▁( also ▁known ▁as ▁" C ro - M agn on " ▁or ▁European ▁early ▁modern ▁humans ) ▁inter bre d ▁with ▁Ne ander th al ▁populations ▁to ▁a ▁limited ▁degree . ▁Pop ulations ▁of ▁modern ▁humans ▁and ▁Ne ander th al ▁over la pped ▁in ▁various ▁regions ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁I ber ian ▁pen ins ula ▁and ▁the ▁Middle ▁East . ▁Inter bre eding ▁may ▁have ▁contributed ▁Ne ander th al ▁gen es ▁to ▁p ala e ol ith ic ▁and ▁ultimately ▁modern ▁E uras ians ▁and ▁O ce ani ans . ▁ ▁An ▁important ▁difference ▁between ▁Europe ▁and ▁other ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁inhab ited ▁world ▁was ▁the ▁northern ▁latitude . ▁Arch ae ological ▁evidence ▁suggests ▁humans , ▁whether ▁Ne ander th al ▁or ▁Cro - M agn on , ▁reached ▁sites ▁in ▁Ar ctic ▁Russia ▁by ▁ 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago . ▁ ▁Cro - M agn on ▁are