Is this skull the remains of a Neanderthal and human LOVECHILD?

[wvwvw]

Fragment suggests two species may have interbred 55,000 years ago - 10,000 years BEFORE we thought they first met
Partial skull was recently discovered in Manot Cave in West Galilee, Israel
Provides evidence modern humans may have interbred with Neanderthals
Two species co-existed in the same region around 55,000 years ago
Find challenges theory that two species met in Europe 10,000 years later
Scientist from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, said modern humans and Neanderthals likely encountered each other foraging for food
By SARAH GRIFFITHS FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 18:23 GMT, 28 January 2015 | UPDATED: 09:33 GMT, 29 January 2015

An ancient partial skull provides the earliest evidence that modern humans lived alongside Neanderthals and could have interbred 55,000 years ago.

Recently discovered in Manot Cave in West Galilee, Israel, the bone sheds new light on our ancient relatives living in the area.

The find challenges a previous theory that the two species potentially met 45,000 years ago somewhere in Europe.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/01/28/2525F78400000578-2930147-image-a-19_1422475839497.jpg

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/01/28/2525EEE200000578-0-image-a-37_1422483151015.jpg
The skull fragment, centre is placed between a Neanderthal skull, left, and a complete modern human skull, right, showing how it more closely resembles the modern human skull

The ‘Levantine cranium from Manot Cave (Israel) foreshadows the First European modern humans,’ according to the study, published in Nature.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2930147/Is-skull-remains-Neanderthal-human-LOVECHILD-Fragment-suggests-two-species-interbred-55-000-years-ago.html#ixzz3QDQLlrl3

[Linebacker]

Did they test it already?

[Rædwald]

If it was a Neanderthal male, and a Cro-Magnon female wouldn't there be a high probability of birth complications because of physiological/anatomical reasons?

[Sockorer]

"lovechild" implying it wasn't begotten by rape.

[Prisoner Of Ice]

If it was a Neanderthal male, and a Cro-Magnon female wouldn't there be a high probability of birth complications because of physiological/anatomical reasons?

No, there is no genetic incompatibility.

[Amud]

How could they possible know that from just a skullcap? The Shanidar 1 skull had a skullcap that is taller than that of other Neanderthals and it is supposed to be at least 50k years old as well.

Neanderthal with "modern human skullcap"

http://www.donsmaps.com/clickphotos/shanidarimagesecclancave/skull.jpg

And all of the "Cro-Magnon" skullcaps were similar to those of Neanderthals. This specimen, Mladec 5, had a "Cro-Magnon" face but the cranial vault is identical to Neanderthals:
https://mathildasanthropologyblog.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/mladec15ao.jpg


So the "Cro-Magnon" has a more "Neanderthal" skull than the Neanderthal. In other words, there was never enough of a clear cut distinction to know what is a Neanderthal, what is a modern human, and what is a hybrid. Most fossils actually show a mosaic of traits.