Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology have successfully analyzed the oldest genome of a modern human, dating back 45,000 years, found in the Ilsenhöhle, Germany. The study provides insights into early human appearance and confirms the timing of interbreeding between modern humans and Neanderthals, occurring between 45,000 and 49,000 years ago. The findings challenge previous assumptions about the timeline of human evolution in Europe and offer a comparative foundation for understanding human biology over millennia.