"50,000-Year-Old Neanderthal Bones Reveal Oldest Human Viruses"

Researchers have discovered ancient DNA from three viruses in 50,000-year-old Neanderthal bones, suggesting that viral infections could have contributed to their extinction. The study, which found DNA resembling adenovirus, herpesvirus, and papillomavirus, supports the theory that Neanderthals might have succumbed to diseases carried by early humans. However, the findings are preliminary and have not yet been peer-reviewed.