Recent studies reveal that modern humans, or Homo sapiens, may owe their survival to interbreeding with Neanderthals. Research indicates that early human populations went extinct multiple times before successfully dispersing globally. The genetic analysis shows that only those who mixed with Neanderthals thrived, suggesting that Neanderthal genes helped modern humans resist new diseases. Prof. Johannes Krause calls for a revision of the narrative surrounding human evolution, emphasizing environmental factors over the idea of superiority in the extinction of Neanderthals.