Neanderthals bred with our human ancestors 100,000 years earlier than previously thought, according to a new study. Experts have discovered that a five–year–old child who lived 140,000 years ago had parents from both species. Their fossil – likely a female – was first unearthed 90 years ago in the Skhul Cave on Mount Carmel in what is now northern Israel. A team from Tel Aviv University and the French Centre for Scientific Research conducted a series of advanced tests on the remaining bones, including a CT scan of the skull. 'Genetic studies over the past decade have shown that these two groups exchanged genes,' said lead author Professor Israel Hershkovitz.

It has been over 40,000 years since the last of the Neanderthals, our ancient human cousins, disappeared from the Earth. But from the shape of your nose to whether someone is an early riser, Neanderthal genes are still shaping many of our lives today. Starting from around 250,000 years ago, ancient homo sapiens and Neanderthals met, lived alongside each other, and often had children together. Now, MailOnline has asked leading paleoanthropologists to reveal what those hybrid children would have looked like. Scientists believe that hybrid children would inherit traits from both of their parents.