Were Neanderthals the Losers?

The standard definition of a species is "A population or group of populations, capable of interbreeding, with production of fertile offspring." It's interesting, in this light, to reconsider recent research on 'Neanderthals' and 'Modern humans' (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/oct/13/neanderthals-and-modern-humans-may-have-copied-each-others-tools). 'Neanderthals' and 'Modern humans' are now thought to have co-existed on the European continent for more than 6000 years. It's also generally accepted that the two 'species' interbred on several occasions. It appears very likely that all Homo sapiens (our species), have small, variable amounts of 'Neanderthal' DNA. So, at least some of the hybrids, must have been fertile. 'Neanderthals' and 'Modern humans', coexisted in France and Northern Spain for between 1400 and 2900 years, appear to have exchanged technologies as well as genes. They copied eachother's jewellery and stone tools. At the end of this period, the Neanderthals are said to have 'disappeared as a distinct species'. Perhaps, 'Modern humans' also disappeared around the same time? We always tend to think in terms of 'winners' and 'losers'. Current genetic information may, however, be interpreted as suggesting that our species is a melding between 'Neanderthals' and 'Modern humans'. We think of 'Modern humans' and current Homo sapiens as being the same. This may be simply because favoured 'blends' resulted in fewer of the gross skeletal features of Neanderthals being retained. 'Neanderthals' and 'Modern humans' may have actually been sub-species rather than distinct species. It that's true, Neanderthals contributed to the generation of current Homo sapiens with some of our creativity.