I am not convinced that those Neanderthal genes are extinct at all. Over the years as I went to work, from time to time I would observe some men—oddly enough, it was never women—on the subway who had a distinct resemblance to the drawings of cavemen that I have seen. Sometimes I would see one who complemented the facial looks with mass amounts of dark hair emanating from his shirt cuffs.
No, they still walk among us.
Interesting observation. One might wander among the hills of Tennessee or Afghanistan and see folks that, shall we say, differ more in appearance than the average? Am I agreeing with the Neanderthal theory? Not quite. But there are many unknowns.