# Cousin flintstones

**URL:** <https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/cousin-flintstones/11892>\
**Category:** Science and Technology\
**Created:** [February 10, 2026, 7:22pm UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/cousin-flintstones/11892 "2026-02-10T19:22:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rasilon](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.centerforinquiry.org/rasilon/32/31310_2.png) [@rasilon](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/rasilon)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2026, 7:22pm UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/cousin-flintstones/11892/1 "2026-02-10T19:22:25Z")

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I’ve heard it said that the Neanderthals may have disappeared by interbreeding with our homo sapiens ancestors. If so, then surely the Neanderthals are merely another ethnic group rather than another species? I mean different species can’t interbreed can they?  
Cheerz  
DECLAN​🙂xxx

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**Author:** ![morgankane01](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.centerforinquiry.org/morgankane01/32/28536_2.png) [@morgankane01](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/morgankane01)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2026, 10:30pm UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/cousin-flintstones/11892/2 "2026-02-10T22:30:04Z")

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Neanderthals and homo-sapiens could interbreed and the mix could reproduce, yes.

The fertility of the mix is disputed. Morphologies and brain organisation were different and genes differed enough so nowadays we can still distinguish Neanderthals genes in ours.

I am not a scientist enough to conclude.

Neanderthals can be classified as a unique species as _H. neanderthalensis_, though some authors argue expanding the definition of _H. sapiens_ to include other ancient humans, with combinations such as _H. sapiens neanderthalensis_ ([splitters and lumpers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumpers_and_splitters "Lumpers and splitters")).

[Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neanderthal)