Neanderthal DNA and modern human origins

Neanderthals are an extinct hominid lineage that coexisted with modern humans in Eurasia. The Neanderthal's role in the evolutionary history of modern humans is a well concerned topic. Mitochondrial DNA sequences from Neanderthal fossils support the “Out of Africa” theory of human evolution, suggesting that modern human ancestors replaced Neanderthal populations in Eurasia. Recent analyses of Neanderthal genome draft sequences indicate minor gene flow between Neanderthals and modern humans in Eurasia but not in Africa. However, these conclusions are quite controversial due to data quality and insufficient sampling, especially about when and where the genetic admixture took place, and the direction of the assumed gene flow.