[James C. Bennett]

Humans and neanderthals inter-bred. The “caucasoid” population encompassing the region from Europe to northern India have elements of neanderthal genetics, AFAIK.

[njslim]

That explains a few knuckle draggers I have meet....

[mountainlion]

Humans and neanderthals inter-bred. The “caucasoid” population encompassing the region from Europe to northern India have elements of neanderthal genetics, AFAIK.

If there was interbreeding the DNA would shave shown that which it did not.

[SunkenCiv]

Hey, thanks, James, that reminds me:

The Neandertal Enigma
by James Shreeve
in local libraries

Frayer's own reading of the record reveals a number of overlooked traits that clearly and specifically link the Neandertals to the Cro-Magnons. One such trait is the shape of the opening of the nerve canal in the lower jaw, a spot where dentists often give a pain-blocking injection. In many Neandertal, the upper portion of the opening is covered by a broad bony ridge, a curious feature also carried by a significant number of Cro-Magnons. But none of the alleged 'ancestors of us all' fossils from Africa have it, and it is extremely rare in modern people outside Europe." [pp 126-127]

I can't believe I forgot that.

Mountainlion, there has been no disproving of any genetic relationship between living humans and Neandertal, neither has there been any disproving of interbreeding. The first such study used pre-Neandertal remains to try to replicate mitochondrial DNA, and fewer than 300 base pairs (out of a presumed 16,000+ originally) made the trip. That isn't an adequate sample to show anything. The recent study didn't use a massive database of Neandertal DNA either, it used reconstructed (iow, surmised) DNA sequences which were then attributed to Neandertal. It was what's known as a straw man argument.

Thanks seowulf, that's nice, I hope that's appeared in a topic of its own.