Neanderthals, or Homo neanderthalensis, are possibly our most famous ancestors. They walked, talked, fought, loved, and suffered just like us. Modern humans shared so much with Neanderthals. Their homes, ranges, hunting grounds, and even their cemeteries were left, or ceded, to us over Europe, Asia, and some parts of Africa. When we discovered the Neanderthal’s disappearance from the fossil record tens of thousands of years ago we blamed climate change, the disappearance of megafauna, and competition from modern humans. The meeting between the two species was anything but short, but what actually happened when the latest branches of our family met so long ago? And what recent discoveries changed how we understand our meeting?