There's a pretty good documentary on Curiosity Steam called Out of the Cradle that goes over the story of early humans. The path from the common ancestor of chimpanzees and humans to modern humans is not a straight line. There were a lot of forms of hominids running around until modern humans pretty much took over the planet, and these hominids were frequently cross breeding with each other. Neanderthals were certainly part of this story. If you're at all interested, I'd recommend Curiosity Stream since it's cheap enough to be worth the subscription even if you only watch a few of the videos.
Also, the excellent Tides of History podcast is doing a series on early humans. The host Patrick Wyman started this cycle in July 2020 and a lot of the material he talks about is based on the latest archaeological evidence and understanding. Very much worth listening to, and it's available on the usual podcasting platforms.
Also, the excellent Tides of History podcast is doing a series on early humans. The host Patrick Wyman started this cycle in July 2020 and a lot of the material he talks about is based on the latest archaeological evidence and understanding. Very much worth listening to, and it's available on the usual podcasting platforms.