▁to ▁running , ▁would ▁eventually ▁completely ▁dis place ▁the ▁Ne ander th als , ▁whose ▁last ▁refuge ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁I ber ian ▁pen ins ula . ▁After ▁about ▁ 2 5 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago ▁the ▁foss il ▁record ▁of ▁the ▁Ne ander th als ▁ends , ▁indicating ▁ext inction . ▁The ▁last ▁known ▁population ▁lived ▁around ▁a ▁cave ▁system ▁on ▁the ▁remote ▁south - f acing ▁coast ▁of ▁Gib ral tar ▁from ▁ 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁ 2 4 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago . ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁extent ▁of ▁link age ▁dis equ ilib rium , ▁it ▁was ▁estimated ▁that ▁the ▁last ▁Ne ander th al ▁gene ▁flow ▁into ▁early ▁ancest ors ▁of ▁Europe ans ▁occurred ▁ 4 7 , 0 0 0 – 6 5 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁B P . ▁In ▁conj unction ▁with ▁arch ae ological ▁and ▁foss il ▁evidence , ▁inter bre eding ▁is ▁thought ▁to ▁have ▁occurred ▁somewhere ▁in ▁Western ▁E uras ia , ▁possibly ▁the ▁Middle ▁East . ▁Studies ▁show ▁a ▁higher ▁Ne ander th al ▁ad mi xture ▁in ▁East ▁A si ans ▁than ▁in ▁Europe ans . ▁North ▁African ▁groups ▁share ▁a ▁similar ▁excess ▁of ▁derived ▁alle les ▁with ▁Ne ander th als ▁as ▁non - A fr ican ▁populations , ▁whereas ▁Sub - S ah aran ▁African ▁groups ▁are ▁the ▁only ▁modern ▁human ▁populations ▁with ▁no ▁substantial ▁Ne ander th al ▁ad mi xture . ▁The ▁Ne ander th al - link