Jawbone Lifts Lid on Human-Neanderthal Sex

Newser ^ | Jun 23, 2015 9:50 AM CDT | Arden Dier

[Sopater]

(Newser) – A jawbone found in Romania more than a decade ago provides the first genetic evidence that humans and Neanderthals knocked boots in Europe before the latter disappeared between 35,000 and 40,000 years ago. Scientists who came across the bone of one of the earliest modern humans in Europe in a cave known as Pestera cu Oase noticed it had both modern human and Neanderthal traits. Now, a study of the bone's DNA—made possible by recent technological advances—explains why. "The sample is more closely related to Neanderthals than any other modern human we've ever looked at before," Harvard researcher David Reich explains in a press release. "We estimate that 6% to 9% of its genome is from Neanderthals. This is an unprecedented amount." In comparison, all people except sub-Saharan Africans share 1% to 4% of their DNA with Neanderthals today.

DNA in the fossil, which is 37,000 to 42,000 years old, suggests the Oase individual had a Neanderthal ancestor four to six generations back, reports Reuters. In other words, a great-great-grandparent might've been a Neanderthal, notes LiveScience. That shows interbreeding occurred far more recently than scientists had guessed; they initially thought interbreeding took place only in the Middle East between 50,000 and 60,000 years ago. "It's an incredibly unexpected thing," Reich says. "In the last few years, we've documented interbreeding between Neanderthals and modern humans, but we never thought we'd be so lucky to find someone so close to that event." You aren't likely to share any DNA with the jawbone's owner, however. Reich says the hunter-gatherer was from a "pioneer population" that entered Europe but "didn't give rise to the later population." (The oldest Neanderthal DNA is some 150,000 years old.)

[Sopater]

Not strange at all if Neanderthals are actually human, too.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Any port in a storm???

[Eric Pode of Croydon]

I'd have sex with a cute Neanderthal before I'd hit this:

[dblshot]

Headline coming soon:

California Legislator Proposes Cross-species Marriage Protection Act.

[eartrumpet]

A jawbone found in Romania more than a decade ago provides the first genetic evidence that humans and Neanderthals knocked boots in Europe before the latter disappeared between 35,000 and 40,000 years ago...

"We estimate that 6% to 9% of its genome is from Neanderthals. This is an unprecedented amount." In comparison, all people except sub-Saharan Africans share 1% to 4% of their DNA with Neanderthals today.

So that 1 to 4% isn't evidence?

[Snickering Hound]

"The box of wine is cold, the Jacuzzi hot, what do you need to wear that bikini for?"

[TheThirdRuffian]

“Any port in a storm???”

Looks more like homo sapiens were slaves, if anything. The Neaderthal (including females) were markedly bigger and probably smarter (larger brain) than us.

And slave masters use female slaves as they will.

[Dr. Ursus]

“Once you go cave;you’ll never go back!”

[cyborg]

LOL omg...

[MrB]

Improved, a bit:

Once you go cave
forever you’ll crave!

[pleasenotcalifornia]

Kinky!

[Pearls Before Swine]

Was it love, or “rape rape?”

I’m betting #2.

[camle]

well some guys would hit just about anything...

[BubbaJunebug]

Hell...I thought someone took a picture of me when I was at Univ of Calif in 1966...I’ve lost all that hair

[null and void]

Strictly speaking we and neanderthals are the same species...

[null and void]

Oh, like the female neanderthal slave keepers couldn’t “persuade” their male homo sapien sapiens to service them.

Stick and stone may break my bones...

...but whips and chains excite me!

[null and void]

well some guys would hit just about anything...

Name him, ping him...

[Demiurge2]

“knocked boots...”
I’ll have to remember that one.

[TheThirdRuffian]

“Oh, like the female neanderthal slave keepers couldn’t “persuade” their male homo sapien sapiens to service them.”

They could, I suppose. But females are finicky and tend to pick high status — bigger, smarter, and The Boss.

No female wants to give birth to a dumb weakling.

Whereas the typical male will have sex with anything.

So I doubt this was common.

Indeed, the lack of Neanderthal mitochondria (which comes from mom) in modern humans tends to prove that it was Neaderthal men slumming with homo sapien sapien women.

[W.]