Ancient DNA has been extracted from multiple Neanderthal specimens, producing extraordinary insight into Neanderthal population history, their relationships to modern humans, and even aspects of their physical appearance.

Shanidar Z has not, as of this writing, yielded analyzable ancient DNA.

The conditions in Iraqi Kurdistan are not optimal for ancient DNA survival.

The region’s climate — warmer and more variable than the cold, dry environments where ancient DNA preservation tends to be best — means that genetic material degrades more rapidly.

The age of the remains (75,000 years) pushes toward the limits of even optimal preservation.

While ancient DNA has been recovered from Neanderthal remains of similar or greater age from sites in cooler environments, the Shanidar Z material has not provided usable genetic information.