Recent research led by Israeli and French scientists has revealed that interbreeding between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens occurred much earlier than previously thought. Fossil evidence from a prehistoric cave on Mount Carmel in Israel, including a child's partial skull, suggests that these two human species mingled as far back as 160,000 years ago. This finding pushes back the timeline of their interaction by more than 100,000 years, challenging established theories about human evolution and migration. The discovery provides new insights into the complex relationship between Neanderthals and the ancestors of modern humans.