“It has also been speculated that these hybrid individuals could have been sterile.”
It’s just another manifestation (yet another) of the anti-Neandertal bias handed down from Virchow — “oh, well, no hybrids have ever been found that- what’s that? Hybrids have been found? Oh, well, they were probably sterile.” The same thing went on with Neander speech — first it was assumed they were mute and the lack of a hyoid bone given as the reason, then a Neandertal hyoid bone was identified so the reactionary response was that the presence of a hyoid bone wasn’t definitive... as Mad Magazine once opined, “You Just Can’t Win With A Bigot”.
No, I don’t think you’re a bigot, and thanks for posting that with the links!
Thanks!