Modern humans might not have survived without Neanderthals.
Modern humans thrived after breeding with Neanderthals
New studies have revealed that modern man went extinct several times before populating the world and only those who interbred with Neanderthals went on to thrive.
The research highlights a short period 48,000 years ago when Homo sapiens bred with Neanderthals after leaving Africa, where they later went on to expand into the wider world.
Homo sapiens had left Africa before this but populations from before the interbreeding period did not survive.
It is believed that Neanderthal genes are pivotal to the survival of modern humans as they protected us from diseases that had not yet been encountered.
Experts believe that the findings show the history of modern humans will need to be rewritten.
Professor Johannes Krause, from the Max Planck Institute in Germany, told BBC News: "We see modern humans as a big story of success, coming out of Africa 60,000 years ago and expanding into all ecosystems to become the most successful mammal on the planet.
"But early on we were not, we went extinct multiple times."