ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Paleolithic continuity theory

The paleolithic continuity theory is the idea that some people in Europe today are descended from the same people who lived in Europe during the Stone Age (about 40,000 to 10,000 years ago). Just like how you are related to your parents and grandparents, the idea is that some people in Europe today have ancestors who were also living in Europe a long, long time ago.

This theory tries to explain why some parts of Europe have certain physical characteristics, like lighter skin or blue eyes, that are different from people in other parts of the world. Some people think that these traits were passed down through generations from the ancient Europeans who first lived there a long time ago.

However, not everyone agrees on this theory. Some researchers believe that ancient people mixed and migrated so much that it's hard to trace anyone's ancestry back to a single group. So, as with many scientific theories, people are still trying to figure it out!