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There is a little Neanderthal in a lot of us
The Telegraph UK ^ | 29/08/2006 | Roger Highfield, Science Editor

Posted on 09/01/2006 8:36:50 AM PDT by patton

People who have large noses, a stocky build and a beetle brow may indeed be a little Neanderthal, according to a genetic study. But the good news is that other research concludes that Neanderthals were much more like us than previously thought.

People of European descent may be five per cent Neanderthal, according to a study published in the journal PLoS Genetics, which suggests we all have a sprinkling of archaic DNA in our genes.

"Instead of a population that left Africa 100,000 years ago and replaced all other archaic human groups, we propose that this population interacted with another population that had been in Europe for much longer, maybe 400,000 years," says Dr Vincent Plagnol, of the University of Southern California, who with Dr Jeffrey Wall analysed 135 different regions of the human genetic code.

They looked at 34 people from Utah with ancestors from Northern and Western Europe and Yoruba people from West Africa. Using statistics and computer modelling, the researchers focused on linkage "disequilibriums", or sections within genes that did not make sense if only modern human matings are considered.

The missing genetic links only fit if some other hominid population is introduced. "We found that a simple model cannot explain the data if we do not add an 'ancestral population'," said Dr Plagnol.

Dr Plagnol explains that different parts of the genome have different ancestry, so an individual could have a fraction of a certain chromosome that is inherited from a Neanderthal, but still have mitochondrial DNA which is "very typical Homo sapiens".

A second study has concluded that Neanderthals were much more like modern humans than had been previously thought, after finds from one of the most famous palaeolithic sites in Europe were re-examined by Bristol University archaeologist, Prof Joao Zilhao, and his French colleagues.

Prof Zilhao has been able to show that sophisticated artefacts such as personal ornaments found in the Châtelperronian culture of France and Spain were genuinely associated with Neanderthals around 44,000 years ago, rather than acquired from modern humans living nearby.

Information appearing on telegraph.co.uk is the copyright of Telegraph Group Limited and must not be reproduced in any medium without licence. For the full copyright statement see Copyright


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Health/Medicine; History
KEYWORDS: godsgravesglyphs; helixmakemineadouble; neandertal; neandertals; neanderthal; neanderthals
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Red hair.
1 posted on 09/01/2006 8:36:51 AM PDT by patton
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To: blam; SunkenCiv

Ping.


2 posted on 09/01/2006 8:37:16 AM PDT by patton (Sanctimony frequently reaps its own reward.)
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To: patton
I have always thought, based on nothing but pure conjecture, that European white skin, blond/red hair, and blue eyes were more attributable to the Neanderthals than to an African origin.
3 posted on 09/01/2006 8:42:18 AM PDT by DJ Taylor (Once again our country is at war, and once again the Democrats have sided with our enemy.)
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To: patton

"Using GEICO on-line is so simple a caveman could do it."


4 posted on 09/01/2006 8:43:24 AM PDT by CholeraJoe (USAF Air Rescue "That others may live.")
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To: patton

Gotta remember to ask the wife if she has any Neanderthal in her.


5 posted on 09/01/2006 8:48:12 AM PDT by cripplecreek (If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out?)
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To: DJ Taylor

you may be correct. If humans and neanderthals could breed, it seems silly to suggest that they did not.


6 posted on 09/01/2006 8:48:12 AM PDT by patton (Sanctimony frequently reaps its own reward.)
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To: patton

Sounds like Jimmy Durante to me. I am not sure what Walter Duranty looked liked but he spelled his name different.
Walter = Jimmy


7 posted on 09/01/2006 8:48:30 AM PDT by ThomasThomas
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To: CholeraJoe

Thanks, but I have Allstate.


8 posted on 09/01/2006 8:48:46 AM PDT by patton (Sanctimony frequently reaps its own reward.)
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To: cripplecreek

May I suggest that you peruse your tagline, first? LOL.


9 posted on 09/01/2006 8:49:35 AM PDT by patton (Sanctimony frequently reaps its own reward.)
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To: patton

I'm just trying to keep hope alive.


10 posted on 09/01/2006 8:51:28 AM PDT by cripplecreek (If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out?)
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To: patton

Apparently, the neanderthal genes in this guy were uber- dominant!

11 posted on 09/01/2006 8:54:36 AM PDT by CarrotAndStick (The articles posted by me needn't necessarily reflect my opinion.)
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To: CarrotAndStick

Easy way to tell - xray his cheek bones.


12 posted on 09/01/2006 8:58:38 AM PDT by patton (Sanctimony frequently reaps its own reward.)
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To: patton

If the europeans are 5% neanderthal, which 5% are they referring to? France???? (works for me anyway)


13 posted on 09/01/2006 9:01:36 AM PDT by geezerwheezer (get up boys, we're burnin' daylight!!!)
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To: geezerwheezer

Celts.


14 posted on 09/01/2006 9:04:15 AM PDT by patton (Sanctimony frequently reaps its own reward.)
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To: CarrotAndStick

That was a picture of Leonid Brezhnev, by the way.


15 posted on 09/01/2006 9:06:27 AM PDT by CarrotAndStick (The articles posted by me needn't necessarily reflect my opinion.)
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To: patton

That was a picture of Leonid Brezhnev, by the way.


16 posted on 09/01/2006 9:06:46 AM PDT by CarrotAndStick (The articles posted by me needn't necessarily reflect my opinion.)
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To: patton
Thanks patton. No ping, we've got one.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.
Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on or off the
"Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list or GGG weekly digest
-- Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

17 posted on 09/01/2006 9:31:47 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (updated my FR profile on Thursday, August 10, 2006. https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: patton
Don't forget about inter-species breeding either..


18 posted on 09/01/2006 9:33:55 AM PDT by pissant
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To: pissant

LOL. which species?


19 posted on 09/01/2006 9:35:23 AM PDT by patton (Sanctimony frequently reaps its own reward.)
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To: SunkenCiv

de nada.


20 posted on 09/01/2006 9:36:06 AM PDT by patton (Sanctimony frequently reaps its own reward.)
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