<P> The recent expansion of anatomically modern humans reached Europe around 40,000 years ago , from from Central Asia and the Middle East , as a result of cultural adaption to big game hunting of sub-glacial steppe fauna . Neanderthals were present both in the Middle East and in Europe , and the arriving populations of anatomically modern humans ( also known as `` Cro - Magnon '' or European early modern humans ) have interbred with Neanderthal populations to a limited degree . Populations of modern humans and Neanderthal overlapped in various regions such as in Iberian peninsula and in the Middle East . Interbreeding may have contributed Neanderthal genes to palaeolithic and ultimately modern Eurasians and Oceanians . </P>
<P> The recent expansion of anatomically modern humans reached Europe around 40,000 years ago , from from Central Asia and the Middle East , as a result of cultural adaption to big game hunting of sub-glacial steppe fauna . Neanderthals were present both in the Middle East and in Europe , and the arriving populations of anatomically modern humans ( also known as `` Cro - Magnon '' or European early modern humans ) have interbred with Neanderthal populations to a limited degree . Populations of modern humans and Neanderthal overlapped in various regions such as in Iberian peninsula and in the Middle East . Interbreeding may have contributed Neanderthal genes to palaeolithic and ultimately modern Eurasians and Oceanians . </P>
which event led to the first human migration into europe
which event led to the first human migration into europe
cultural adaption to big game hunting of sub-glacial steppe fauna
cultural adaption to big game hunting of sub-glacial steppe fauna