What is the best evidence that Cro-Magnons interbred with Neanderthals
(like in the Clan of the Cavebear series)?  What is the best evidence
that they did not interbreed?  What is the stronger argument?

Given the propensity for lions to breed with tigers, given the opportunity
- it is pretty unlikely that ...

Also, when people dig up two chicken bones and a tooth, the next thing
we have is a prehistoric ancestor or cousin

My favourite quote is from a book on the 'ascent' of man called 'The Monkey Puzzle'

They said that, if anyone does not believe that Neanderthals interbred
with the rest, then they should take a ride on the NY subway.

Thank you for you input.  I do however think with advances in
genetics, DNA, radiocarbon dating and no doubt computers the era of
the Peking man discoveries is largely over (no more chicken bones and
a tooth).  You do contradict yourself.  Your example using the "liger"
(Thank you Napoleon Dynamite)says that they did not and the NY subway
example (which I have heard myself) says that they did.  I have looked
into the matter and it does seem more likely that the interbreeding
did not occur, but I am very much the layman and would like to hear
from some experts.  The very popluar Clan of the Caveman series (which
appears to be very well researched, also great reading)certainly
surports interbreeding, of course, the cavegal in that series also
rode on the back of a cavelion for fun and in reality it was proably
more like in the belly.

I don't think that I contradict myself, on the lion and tiger example,
what I meant was that genetically diverse creatures will attempt to
interbreed
- whether the results are successful in the short or long term is a
different matter.

There are problems with C14 dating, and DNA analysis is a bit
unreliable on fossils and very old bones, the plot of Jurassic Park
was based on blood samples within insects trapped in amber ...

It would be very easy to select a sample of living human beings that
display all the diverse characteristics of the remains of hominids
that have so far been found
- if anything, the most interesting thing is just how /few/ samples of
early 'man' have been found.